Little Things
by vanderlylecrybabygeek
Summary: Bits and pieces of Drake and Mindy's life together.  Not necessarily chronological.
1. How Do We Cope

**I don't usually write long stories, so I'm doing what jaded river hussie has done, and I'm making a master post for all my drabbles and one shots. My drabbles always seem to be very short, so it'll be bits and pieces of Drake and Mindy from various points in time, not necessarily chronological. :)**

**I don't own Drake & Josh.**

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><p>When Mindy Crenshaw got angry, the entire world knew she was angry. It was utter rage – there was door slamming, throwing things down like her phone or the TV remote, huffing, yelling at no one in particular…it didn't take much to see that something had pissed her off.<p>

Now that she and Drake were dating, Drake got the brunt of her anger. She never took anything out on him, but he had to listen to her as she ranted and babbled and slammed things and became more and more like a she-beast and less and less like his girlfriend. He didn't mind it, but he always knew something was wrong when the slam of her car door sounded like it was right next to him when he was actually sitting in his house with all the windows closed. Mindy could rant for hours, and there were occasions she did; Drake would have to listen to everything that happened that day that made her slightly angry. He'd nod and do his best to follow the stories, but sometimes they turned tangential, and he didn't know all the names of her coworkers – how could he follow when it was Jenny and Mark that had shunned her when he didn't even have a clue who Jenny or Mark was? When she got mad, if someone so much as looked at her funny, it made her furious. She'd rage for awhile, then finally calm down, and they'd end up cuddling until she fell asleep on Drake's shoulder.

When Drake Parker got angry, he tried his best to make sure that no one knew. He'd go throughout his whole day dealing with everything, staying quiet, and the second he got to Mindy's house, she'd watch him deflate. He'd stay mute. He never ranted, he never yelled, he never said what was bothering him. He'd go sit on the couch waiting for her to follow, and she would, knowing that he needed her when he got like this. Usually, Drake's head would end up in Mindy's lap while she stroked his hair and he fell apart minute by minute. He wouldn't ever say anything, but he looked so weak and so small; it was enough to break Mindy's heart. When he finally did speak, his voice was tiny, needy. He'd eventually fall asleep with his head in her lap feeling comforted by having Mindy so close to him. When they woke up the next morning, they'd go about life like nothing ever happened.

Though she hated when Drake was upset, Mindy liked the nights he'd fall asleep snuggled up to her. She knew no one else ever saw him at his most vulnerable, and she was glad it was her that saw him break. She was the one who got to make him feel better. That was their little secret.


	2. Music of the Night

Throughout Drake's entire life as a musician, he knew inspiration struck when you least expected it to. He knew that a song idea could happen while in the shower, while grocery shopping, while making breakfast, or while having trouble falling asleep. For as long as he could remember, he'd scribble his thoughts down on the closest surface he was able to write on, whether it be a napkin or the bottom of a grocery list, and go on with what he was doing, unless his guitar was within reach. Then, of course, he'd stop everything to craft a new song. Drake had memories of waking up at 3AM with a melody in his head that wouldn't leave him alone, taking his guitar, and going into the living room so he could work out a new tune without bothering Josh.

Now that he and Mindy were living together, she was just finding out about Drake's songwriting antics. She'd hear the strum of the guitar, let out a groan, and pull the pillow over her ears before trying to go back to sleep, usually to no avail. Lately, Drake's inspiration never struck at normal hours – his best ideas apparently came to him between the hours of 1 and 4AM. No, he didn't have to get up early to go to work, but _she_ did. Just because he didn't hold a job that caused him to get up at 7 and work 9-5, it didn't mean that his girlfriend didn't.

There were times she appeared in the doorway of the living room, hair tangled with sleep and fists clenched, simply to tell Drake to stop. "I. Am. Trying. To. Sleep," she always said through gritted teeth. "I appreciate that this is when you are most creative, but _I _have to go to work tomorrow. And going to work causes me to have to get up _early_, Drake. I do not need to hear guitar chords at 2:30 in the morning, no matter how beautiful they may sound."

"So you like it?" And he'd wiggle his eyebrows at her, exuding charm.

"Yes, but that is beside the point. I need sleep. I have to go to work. I cannot function at work if I have not slept, so by all means, please stop or quiet down or something. Please. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, baby." Drake would watch her shuffle back to bed, hearing her let out a slight groan at the fact that she was still awake.

When Drake was asked to go on tour as the opening act for Zero Gravity, a lifelong dream of his, he was gone for two weeks. It was then Mindy realized how much she liked listening to him play guitar. When she woke up at 3AM to complete silence, instead of utter bliss, it was a painful reminder of the silent nights to come without Drake by her side. The day Drake got home from the tour and she was awakened at 2:57 to the sound of a light strum, she just smiled and rolled over, happy to hear the music she once took for granted.


	3. Christmas Promise

**I figure now's a good time to mention that I've been naming everything after songs. The story itself is named after Bec Lavelle's Little Things, which reminds me of Drake and Mindy's playful side. **

_I like the little things like imitation diamond rings,  
>Walking when the silver moon is shining on the sea.<br>I like your hand in mine,  
>The way we leave the stars behind.<br>Turn around to find your eyes are shining on me._

**Chapter one is Nerina Pallot's How Do We Cope, and chapter two is Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera. This chapter is Christmas Promise by Backhouse Mike, which is where the stray lyric at the beginning is from, haha.**

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><p><em>I don't want some fancy presents; all I want is you.<em>

"I hate wrapping presents," Drake moaned, looking down at the package he'd wrapped for Josh that had tape stuck to it everywhere and lumps in the wrapping paper. It didn't look great, but it was the thought that counted, wasn't it?

Mindy laughed as she finished tying the big red bow on the present she was giving Drake's parents. Her gifts were all wrapped perfectly; there wasn't even a place where tape was visible. The wrapping paper looked lovely and all her bows were tied nicely. As she added it to the stack of already wrapped presents, it looked like something you'd find in a fancy holiday magazine with tips on how to make your gifts look extra special. She was a perfectionist, and Drake was not – it was painfully obvious in the way they'd wrapped their presents. "Yours _could _use a little work, but it's what's on the inside that counts."

Drake smiled as he grabbed the Kindle he bought for Megan, carefully examining the box and surveying the wrapping paper he had laid out. After turning the box to look at it from all angles and getting a few laughs from Mindy in the process, he gave up and dropped it onto the floor with a sigh. "You never told me what you want for Christmas."

Mindy raised an eyebrow as she looked up from signing a Christmas card. A wry smile made its way across her face. "You haven't bought anything yet? Aren't you cutting it a little close, Drake?"

"No, I did buy you something," he replied, "but you never told me what you wanted! It's our first Christmas together, and I don't want to screw it up!"

A genuine grin appeared as she leaned over and patted Drake's knee gently. "I'm sure whatever you got is fine. I hope you like what I got you."

"What is it?" Drake asked eagerly, his eyes lighting up with the joy of a kid waiting for Santa. "Can I have a hint?"

"No!" Mindy laughed, straightening out a bow. "You'll find out soon enough. Only a few more days."

Drake stuck out his lower lip into a pout.

"Doesn't work on me," she said, starting to pick up the scraps of wrapping paper from the ground. "You've still gotta wait until Christmas!"

"Ouch, that's cold," Drake chuckled. "But really, what do you want? Everything has to be perfect."

"I have everything I want."

"How?"

She smiled, picking up a bow from the ground and sticking it on Drake's head. "I have you."


	4. Everything is Gonna Be Okay

**Everything is Gonna Be Okay - Drake Bell**

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><p>"Are you scared?" Drake asked Mindy one night as they snuggled up to each other deep within the covers.<p>

"Of what?" she asked, feeling Drake's hand slide onto her pregnant stomach and knowing what the answer was.

"You know, the baby." He sighed. "What if it's a girl?"

Mindy smiled and placed her hand on top of Drake's. "Well, there's a good chance it will be. Just like there's a good chance it'll be a boy."

That caused him to smile as he kissed Mindy's forehead gently. "I know, but I wouldn't be any good with a girl." Truth be told, he was scared that later in life his daughter would find someone like him. He had no trouble admitting that in his younger days he was a womanizer who lived life on the edge. The thought of his little girl falling in love with a musician who lived life fast and hard petrified him. "I want a boy."

"It doesn't matter what either of us want," Mindy said a-matter-of-factly. "That's up to nature."

It annoyed Drake that Mindy had an intellectual outlook on everything, but at the same time he found it incredibly endearing. "Don't you want one or the other, though?" He rubbed Mindy's stomach softly.

She shook her head with a shrug. "I just want a healthy baby. That's really all you can ask for." She looked at Drake, seeing that his brown eyes were clouded with fear. She'd never seen him look so worried. "What brought this up, though? I'm not due for another four months!"

"I know," Drake replied in a small tone. "I just got thinking, and I got scared."

Mindy stroked Drake's cheek lightly and planted a kiss on his lips. "You'll be an amazing dad. That you most definitely don't have to worry about. Our baby will be so lucky to have you."

A grin spread across Drake's face as he felt a light prick against the palm of his hand. "Was that a kick?"

Mindy nodded, knowing that Drake's smile matched her own. "See? Even the baby agrees. You've got nothing to worry about, Drake."


	5. Designated Drunk

**Designated Drunk - Laura Bell Bundy**

_Walkin' to the car, I said,  
>"Honey, don't you think I'm gonna have to drive us home?<br>You've had too much to drink!"_

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><p>"Heyyyyy!" Mindy yelled, walking in the door after having a night out with a few girlfriends. It was a little after midnight.<p>

"Hi," Drake said, looking over at her from the couch where he had been lying and watching TV. He saw her stumble to the table to put down her purse. "Did you have fun?"

"So much fun!" she giggled, having trouble getting the words out as she walked into the living room and fell to the couch.

Drake sat up and gave her a grin. "And you're drunk."

"Nooo!" Mindy laughed with a wave of her hand. "Not at all!"

"I think you are. You're a lightweight." He kissed her head. "Let's get you into bed." He grabbed her hand and started to pull her up from the couch.

"I'm not tired!" she protested, kissing Drake's cheek. He smelled the alcohol on her breath as he picked her up and headed toward the direction of their room.

"You will be soon enough!"

"I tried this new drink tonight," she said, her words slurring together. "I can't remember what it was called, but it was yummy. Drake, you should try it sometime."

He laughed and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead as he placed her in their bed. "If I ever need to be knocked on my ass, I'll be sure to give it a try. Let me get you pajamas so you don't have to sleep in your dress."

She nodded, trying to sit up and noticing that it took a great amount of effort to do so. The room wasn't spinning, but it felt like it was about to any second.

Drake handed her an oversized t-shirt and a pair of soft shorts. "There you go."

"Thank you." She started to get changed and sighed.

"You okay?" Drake asked, picking up her dress from the floor and putting it on a hanger; Mindy would be angry with him if she woke up to find her dress in a wrinkled pile on the floor.

"Everything'sspinning." It was all one word when she said it. The slurring had gotten the best of her at this point.

"I'll go get you some Aspirin." Drake made his way to the bathroom and got an Aspirin from the cabinet and a cup of water. Mindy had nursed his drunkenness many a time, and it was his turn to return the favor. "Here," he said gently, handing her the pill.

"Thanks," Mindy replied, holding her head in her hands. "You're a nice guy." She patted his shoulder, but he was sure it was just to help her stay upright.

"Thank you." Drake laughed as he flicked off the light. "I'll leave you alone. Night, baby."

"You're leaving me?" Her voice became high-pitched with surprise as her eyebrows sprung up.

"You want me to stay here?"

"Wouldyou?" All one word again.

He smiled, completely defeated. He turned around and crawled into bed with her, placing the glass on the nightstand.

"I'm really glad I get to come home to you every night," Mindy giggled as she petted his hair gently while snuggling up to him.

He knew it was the alcohol talking, but there was sincerity there. A grin overtook Drake's face. "I'm glad, too."


	6. It Starts

**It Starts - Nerina Pallot**

_It starts in the head and it begins.  
>It starts and it changes everything.<br>It starts and it never fades away._

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><p>"Oh, god, I thought we'd <em>never <em>be alone!" Mindy laughed, flopping back onto the fluffy hotel bed still in her wedding dress and heels. She was euphorically happy, but incredibly exhausted…and completely ready to be alone with Drake. The day had been perfect, but it was about time they had some time alone.

"Right there with you!" Drake agreed, flashing a smile and undoing his bowtie. He kicked off his shoes before falling to the bed next to Mindy, landing on the edge of her dress. "Today was perfect."

"You're my husband."

"You're my wife."

They both grinned as they looked into each other's eyes; they had been smiling all day long that their faces felt like plastic stuck in the same position, but the happiness wasn't going to fade anytime soon. Drake leaned in to kiss her, letting his hands sink into her soft curls which he'd been dying to touch all day. He felt her smile as his lips touched hers, and in a few moments, Drake's suit jacket was lying on the floor and he was fidgeting with Mindy's zipper; it wasn't exactly easy to get off a wedding dress.

Mindy smiled as the dress fell to the floor and her lips met Drake's. A perfect day was about to turn into a perfect night.


	7. It Was Me

**It Was Me - Nerina Pallot**

_So the road won't rise to meet me as I go,  
>And this feckless heart knows no rewards.<br>For all my lies, I apologize.  
>It was me, it wasn't you, and now I know.<em>

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><p>Mindy loved being right. She thought something about it was so rewarding to know that she was completely correct and it wasn't up for argument. It fed her ego, in a way, and that thrilled her. Mindy never went out of her way to prove just how right she was, but she got a look about her that was enough to annoy even the most tolerant of people; it mirrored that of a happily pleased queen.<p>

It wasn't that she always had to be right…she was just horrible at being wrong.

This time, she was wrong.

"I'm sorry, Drake," she told him, her tone small. Mindy wasn't used to having to apologize to him; the roles were suddenly reversed. She couldn't remember the last time she had to apologize for something. She felt horrible. "I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, thanks, Mindy," Drake said viciously, slamming the car keys down on the counter and starting to walk away.

Mindy grasped his hand, and Drake shook it off as though it were venomous. "I don't know what else to say. I'm very sorry."

"You said that," Drake replied flatly with unblinking eyes. He started toward the linen closet with Mindy following right behind him. "I'll let you know when I actually forgive you." He took a blanket from the closet and threw it at her, adding "Until then, you can make friends with the couch."

Mindy looked at the blanket in her hand, which she'd just barely caught, completely shocked. She opened her mouth to speak and quickly closed it, nodding instead. "Okay," she said softly. "Goodnight, sweetheart." Mindy walked away dejectedly, clutching the blanket close to her chest and bearing striking resemblance to a puppy who'd just been scolded.

As Drake watched her walk away, he wondered how she could stand being right.


	8. Sleep

**This chapter is most definitely T for language.  
><strong>

**Sleep – Backhouse Mike**

_Baby, when you threw the cup  
>You knew I wouldn't pick it up<br>And maybe there's another life  
>That took you away…<br>Life is like a photograph;  
>You tear it up then send it back.<br>Please no more pictures today._

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><p>"Where do you want to go to eat?" Drake asked, jamming the keys into the ignition and starting the car.<p>

"Oh, my opinion suddenly matters?" Mindy replied, darkness clouding her brown eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Drake quizzed, letting his hands fall from the wheel and putting the car back in park.

"Just drive. I don't give a fuck where we go."

"Home at this rate."

"Whatever."

Drake started out of the tiny parking space near the club in confusion. He wasn't quite sure where the evening went wrong; all was fine before his show, and all was seemingly fine after his show. He'd played a gig – his best of the year, he was pretty sure, but Mindy usually told him her opinion, so he had no back up on this one – and when he was finished, he hung out with her and the guys. She'd ask to leave to go get food as the bar didn't really serve meals, and after a bit, Drake agreed and now here they were. She was angry, he was confused.

"What's wrong?" Drake asked. He felt like he should've known, but he didn't. He hadn't a clue what went awry.

"How do you not know what's wrong?" Mindy fumed, darting her eyes at him before rolling them far back into her head.

The night from her perspective was far different than Drake's recollection. All was fine before the show – that they agreed with – and during the show – it was definitely Drake's best of the year since it was the first time she'd heard him play live with his entire band, but she wasn't about to tell him that – things were still fine, but it was after the show when everything went wrong. Mindy never asked to be the center of attention. That wasn't like her. She did, however, expect her presence to at least be acknowledged at one time or another.

They'd been together for awhile now. Not a long time, but they'd known each other long enough to know the ins and outs of each other's personalities. Mindy had never been with Drake when he'd had a show with his full band, so this was the first experience for her going to one of his non-solo shows and him taking her to one. He didn't know how to act with her around; it wasn't something he'd done in awhile. She was friends with all the guys in his band, but Drake was so used to this being a "just the boys" event. It wasn't that Mindy was intruding – it was that it was new to him, just like it was to her. Ignoring her hadn't been intentional; it had happened and he hadn't even realized it. Everything had seemed normal to him.

"I just…I don't," he said, taking his eyes off the road to look at her for a second. "What's wrong?"

"You ignored me all night, Drake! You stepped off that stage, and I couldn't even get one second of your attention."

"Oh, god, I didn't mean to. I'm sorry, it's just that…"

"How are you sorry for something you didn't even know you did until I told you?" Mindy raged, throwing her hands in the air in confusion.

"Well, babe, I didn't…"

"Don't 'babe' me, Drake! Is this what my life is going to be like now? Is this what dating you is going to entail? You doing shows and me falling into the shadows so you can go off and pretend I don't exist? What's next? Having sex with a bunch of other girls while you continue to ignore me?"

"Where the fuck did this come from? Do you really think that I'm going to do any of that shit? Fuck." Drake had been biting his tongue, trying not to say anything he'd regret, but the argument had suddenly turned serious.

"I don't know, Drake! I wouldn't put it past you! This is what your job is! You're a musician, and if that's how you're going to treat me after shows, I don't know if I want any part of that!"

"Do you realize how long it's been since I've brought a girlfriend to one of my shows?" He flashed her an angry look and watched how small she suddenly became. It made him feel a little better seeing how sad she looked, even if only for a second, but the thoughts even felt vicious to him. "It's been a long time, Mindy. For a few years, it's been a boys' club thing, and then you were there tonight, and I didn't know what the fuck to do, so I'm sorry that I hurt you, but god, it's new for me having you there just like it is for you being there."

"But is this what it's gonna be? Are you EVER going to figure it out? Because if this is all I have to look forward to…"

"What the fuck do you want me to say to make it better? It happened, and I can't change it! I told you that you didn't even have to come tonight! That was _your _choice," he added, pointing his finger in her direction as he stabbed the air.

"I was there because I wanted to support you! That's what you do in a relationship! You support each other! I wasn't about to stay home, and besides, if I didn't go, you would've spun it on me and made it sound like I was a horrible person for not going!"

"What? I wouldn't have done that!"

"Oh, bullshit. You pout like a two year old," Mindy answered, running her hand through her hair. "And pull over. You can't argue and drive or you're gonna crash the car."

"Why, yes, your majesty," Drake told her sarcastically, driving into a parking lot that was luckily right nearby. "Happy now? I'm so glad you told me I should stop because now it's certain that I can't get away from you."

"You know that's not why I did it! Is it my fault that I actually care about your safety and don't want you to get us in car crash just because you decided to be an idiot tonight?"

"How the fuck am I an idiot? Just because I didn't realize I was ignoring you? Mindy, seriously, it's not all about you! It's been a boys club up until now! I'm sorry it was weird for you."

"Whatever, Drake, whatever." She crossed her arms and let out a long sigh, avoiding eye contact with Drake.

"I don't know what the fuck you want me to do!"

"I want you to promise me that it's not going to happen again and that you'll at least make an effort to acknowledge that I exist after the next show!"

"I can't! I can't do that because I get caught up in the moment, and then I can't control what happens! I can make a conscious effort, but I can't promise that because then you'll spin it all on _me_."

"Like I would do that."

"It's exactly what you're doing now! You say I pout like a two year old? Oh, Jesus, like you're a little fucking angel. You never let me hear the end of it!" His voice became high pitched as he started to mock her, "'Oh, Drake, once, on February 8th, you gave me a funny look when I tried on my new dress, and oh, you're a big asshole.'"

"I'm not like that!" she replied defensively. "I'm not like that at all, you jackass."

"Oh, right, it was probably February 10th and you called me a jackass then, too, instead of an asshole."

"You're being so ridiculous right now that I can't even stand it."

"You can't stand me? I'm sitting here in a fucking parking lot about ten minutes away from your house because you said you needed me to pull over so we could argue after you started a pointless fight for something that could've been over fifteen fucking minutes ago! _I'm_ the one you can't stand? It's _your _fault!"

"Shut the fuck up and just kiss me!" Mindy yelled, throwing her purse on the ground and unbuckling her seatbelt as she leaned into Drake who was doing the same.

Drake grabbed her face violently as they started kissing with intense passion. His shirt was falling off his shoulder by the time Mindy was crawling over the armrest and into the backseat, pulling Drake by his shirt with her. "You are so fucking hot when you're angry," he complimented between kisses as he started to unhook her bra.

"So are you," Mindy agreed, starting to unzip his jeans and falling into him until they were skin to skin.

They slid down into the backseat so they were barely visible – the tinted windows had never been so helpful – and continued at it until they were stripped down with Mindy lying on Drake's chest. They both breathed heavily as Drake stroked her back lightly. "Sorry," he whispered into her hair once he caught his breath.

"It's fine," she answered into his chest, and Drake felt her warm breath on his neck slowly returning to normal. "I'm sorry, too."

He kissed her forehead gently as they lied in the backseat just letting time pass them by. They'd never had a serious argument until that one, and in a way, it had been very scary. In the future, there'd be a lot more arguments about a lot more serious things, and that was a daunting realization. Drake and Mindy had gotten through that one, though, and that was a start.

"What time is it?" Mindy asked with a yawn, still cuddled up to Drake and not making an effort to move.

"After one," he replied with a yawn, giving his watch a quick glance. "I guess we should get home."

"I guess," she said, reluctantly lifting up her head and beginning to look around for her bra. "Hey, can you at least promise me one thing?"

Drake caught her gaze and raised an eyebrow, his deep chocolate eyes full of wonder.

"That whenever we fight, this is always how we'll make up?"

He laughed, pulling Mindy into his arms again and kissing her softly on the cheek. "That I can definitely promise."


	9. Say It Ain't So

**Say It Ain't So - Weezer_  
><em>**

_I can't confront you;  
>I never could do<br>That which might hurt you  
>To try and be cool.<em>

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><p>"Fuck," Drake said to himself, touching his hand to his chin and feeling his fingers become wet with blood. "Fuck." He picked up the tissue he had next to him and pressed it to his face again, sighing in slight pain and severe annoyance.<p>

Mindy hadn't meant to hit him. She really hadn't. It was all an accident that was caused from a heat of the moment argument. At this point, he couldn't even remember what they were arguing about; the only thing that was clear was the sound of the breaking plate and the look on Mindy's face after Drake's face was cut. She was yelling about something, and in anger, she threw a plate. She hadn't aimed it at Drake, but a sharp piece managed to scrape across his chin deep enough to draw blood. The pain was excruciating as it sliced through his skin, and the look in her eyes was scarily hollow and apologetic as Drake grabbed a handful of tissues and ran for the door.

He was currently driving around, not really heading anywhere. He wanted to go to Josh's, but he wasn't in the mood to explain everything that had happened. Drake was exhausted, but he wasn't ready to go home yet. He didn't want to face Mindy. He wasn't ready for her sorry eyes and sweet touch, though he knew he'd forgive her in an instant.

After driving around for another half hour, Drake headed in the direction of his house when the clock read 2:21. He was finally ready to face Mindy. He walked inside with a sigh, still bleeding a little bit and seeing a silhouette of his girlfriend sitting on the couch in the dark living room. She didn't say anything, but she walked into the kitchen where the moon was the only light. "Can I see?" she asked softly, pointing toward Drake's face.

He removed the blood-stained tissue he'd been pressing tightly to his chin to reveal the cut that was still dripping a bit.

"This is gonna sting." She wiped an alcohol pad across the cut, making Drake wince and step back. Mindy quickly placed a band-aid over the cut, tracing her finger around the outside of it.

"Thank you," Drake told her weakly, moving his face as he tried to get used to the odd feeling of the bandage.

"I'm so sorry," Mindy told him. "I never meant to do that. I was an idiot for even throwing something. There are times that I become so consumed with rage, and I turn into a huge bitch." Drake saw tears glistening in her deep eyes. "I didn't mean to hurt you." A few tears spilled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Drake, I'm so sorry."

Before Drake knew it, she was sobbing into his chest, and he was rubbing her back to comfort her. "Shh, baby. It's okay." Mindy looked up at him timidly, mascara in lines down her cheeks. "I know you didn't mean to do that. It's all fine. It's a little cut – so what? It'll heal."

"Are you sure? I feel horrible. I didn't mean to…"

"I know you didn't," Drake assured, kissing her head lovingly. "I know you didn't mean to do that. It's fine. It's late, anyway, so let's just go to bed. Everything will be brighter in the morning."

Mindy nodded gently, pulling away from Drake and heading toward the stairs with his arm wrapped tightly around her waist. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"I'm sorry…just. I am so sorry."

"Next time we fight, can you promise me you won't break another plate? At least break a glass or something. We can't be down too many plates – we have people over too often," Drake joked in an attempt to make Mindy smile.

She laughed for the first time that night, wiping her nose that was still red from crying. "I'm so glad I have you, Drake."


	10. Change My Needs

**I noticed there was a lot of angst, so I needed to add a little fluff! ;)  
><strong>

**Change My Needs - Scars on 45_  
><em>**

_They say a legal kiss is not as good as a stolen one._

* * *

><p>"Alone on New Year's Eve, huh?" Drake asked as he walked out onto the patio where Mindy was standing by herself.<p>

She turned around with a hint of a smile. "Yeah," she replied. "You, too? The mighty womanizer Drake Parker doesn't have a date?"

He took a swig of the beer he held in his hand and nodded. This was the first New Year's Eve in a good ten years where he was single. It felt strange to him, being that he was used to having a pair of lips to meet when the clock struck midnight. Without a date, the whole night seemed rather lame to him. "Nope."

"It's kind of sad, isn't it?" Mindy asked, sipping her champagne and brushing her hair from her face. Drake couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked under the moonlight. "I mean, I'm not a girl who needs a boyfriend. I like being single because my career is my number one priority, and I don't need to focus on much else right now, but…"

"It sucks seeing everyone else have a lovefest while you're standing there alone?" Drake smiled.

"To put it simply, yes."

Drake and Mindy both turned around as they heard the door open and saw Audrey frantically walking out. "The fireworks are about to start!" she yelled into the house as the rest of the guests of the Parker-Nichols party followed her onto the patio. Fireworks were a San Diego tradition; each year, the family threw a New Year's Eve party that went well into the night, but the fireworks were always the highlight. A grin stretched across Audrey's face as she patted Drake and Mindy's shoulders. "How exciting!"

"Mm, yeah," Drake said with a weak smile taking another sip of beer as Mindy looked into her glass.

"Ten seconds!" Josh yelled happily. "My watch is programmed," he added in a smooth tone, winking at his girlfriend of a few months who laughed at his corny joke; Drake just rolled his eyes.

"Nine…eight…seven…"

Looking at Mindy, Drake couldn't believe how beautiful she was. How had he missed something so painfully obvious all these years?

"Six…five…four…"

Mindy looked at Drake with a bit of a grin, quickly averting her eyes to the landscape where the fireworks would soon be set off.

"Three…two…one…HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

In the heat of the moment, Drake grabbed Mindy's waist and pressed his lips to hers. She was slightly shocked, but he was a good kisser; he tasted like beer and cigarettes and nothing she'd ever experienced before. He pulled away, giving her a sheepish grin. "Happy New Year, Mindy."

To his surprise, Mindy wrapped her arms around Drake and pulled him back toward her, letting her lips fall on his. As fireworks danced in the sky, she whispered, "Happy New Year, Drake."


	11. Like Only a Woman Can

**This came to me out of nowhere, and it's in a completely different style than I usually write. I was inspired by another piece I read, so this is the outcome. I'm actually quite pleased with it, even though it's not my usual. Feedback on this is much appreciated! :)**

_Like Only a Woman Can - Brian McFadden_

_She changed my life;  
>She cleaned me up.<br>She found my heart  
>Like only a woman can.<br>_

* * *

><p>You're standing backstage talking to two girls who managed to weasel their way there by doing god knows what, and you know you shouldn't because Mindy is pregnant and hormonal and will undoubtedly see you and get pissed off. But it doesn't really matter what she thinks, does it, because you're just having a little fun. You're just gonna flirt for a few minutes and send these girls on their merry way with autographed copies of your album in tow and a few photos on their camera phones that are decked out in glittery covers. It's not like you're going to sleep with them. You would've three years ago. Hell, you probably would've three months ago. Okay, maybe more like a year ago, but there are times you insist on convincing yourself that you're still wild and crazy.<p>

And for a few moments when you talk to them, you're a teenager again. The way you revert back to flipping your hair whenever one of the girls starts to giggle nervously because she's standing so close to you, the way the girls try to cuddle closer and closer to you while the other takes your picture, the way you open the cap of the Sharpie so artfully with your teeth because you did that all the time when you were seventeen, the way that for the time being, nothing has changed at all.

And then Mindy catches your eye. She gives you that gruesome stare that only she has the capability of doing, and it's combined with hurt, confusion, and generally wanting to kill you. You haven't done anything wrong. Why are you getting nervous? Is she really not going to allow you to _talk _to other girls? Because that's ridiculous. You're Drake Parker. You will always do what you want. But you can't blame her for getting nervous because you were a known womanizer in the past, and she's really only trying to save you from yourself.

It's the way she saunters over with her stomach leading the way, the one carrying your unborn child, and the way she flits her eyes in your direction mercilessly for chatting up these girls, whose jaws are dropping at the sight of her because really, you're going to be a father now and that just aged you ten years in these vapid girls' minds. It's the way you want to hate her because she's become your conscience, the conscience that was so noticeably absent until you two started dating, the conscience that now dominates your thoughts every time the old you threatens to take over even for a few seconds. It's the way you can't hate her because you know she's worth more than those other girls ever will be, and you know that you're lucky to have her because people like her don't give people like you a second look. It's the way that she'll never tell you that she feels exactly the same because people like _you _don't give people like _her _a second look. It's the way you couldn't escape her even if you wanted to – but that's the thing – you don't want to.


	12. Turn Me On Again

**Turn Me On Again - Nerina Pallot_  
><em>**

_Love is hate and love is fire;  
>Fill my head with dumb desire.<br>Turn me on again._

* * *

><p>"I had a great time tonight," Mindy told Drake with a smile. "Thanks for this."<p>

"I did, too," he grinned. "Goodnight." They shared a kiss, and he started to head away.

As Mindy watched him walk off into the black of night, she called, "Wait!" causing him to turn around on the heel of his shoe. "Wanna come in? I've got a bottle of wine."

A smile slowly came across Drake's face as he walked back to her. "Yeah, that'd be nice."

"My place is a little messy," she laughed as they walked into her apartment, flicking on the light. "I've been working on a huge case, so I have my things spread out all over. I promise I'm not usually like this. It's tends to happen when I have a really hard case."

Drake looked around, surveying the place with a shrug. "No worries," he said with a smile. "It's very you. And a lot cleaner than my place."

Mindy laughed as she took off her shoes and motioned toward the couch. "Yours _does_ look a little like a tornado hit it. I guess that's part of your charm, though." She winked. "Make yourself at home. I'll get the wine."

He headed to the sofa, still inspecting the apartment. It was quaint and homey, yet still modern. Her decorating wasn't extravagant; it was spic and span with pristine white furniture. He looked at the pictures that sat on the end table. "Oh, god, your parents," Drake said with a smile, holding up the photo. "They're gonna hate me when I meet them again!"

Mindy smiled as she brought the bottle of wine with two glasses back to the couch. "Well, I wish I could say that you're wrong, but they didn't even like Josh. That's nothing against you, but you're not exactly…"

"I know." Drake shrugged nonchalantly as he placed the photo back on the end table. "I guess it doesn't matter what they think, though. We're happy."

She grinned as she poured them each a glass of red wine; she loved that Drake didn't care what others thought. Mindy had spent her entire life trying to make others happy and please everyone. Since she'd started dating Drake, she was learning to accept that not everything could be perfect, and every so often, you needed to do something because you wanted to. Public perception shouldn't define your life. "Yeah. We are."

Drake watched as her hair fell in her face, and he'd never seen her look more beautiful. As she looked up at him, he fell in love again. He couldn't help it and leaned in to kiss her.

She let his lips touch hers, and she felt her mouth curve into a smile. He fell back to the couch, and she fell with him. The wine could wait.


	13. Perfect For You

**This is a follow up to Say It Ain't So. :)**

_Perfect For You (Reprise) - Next to Normal_

_Sometimes life is insane,_  
><em>But crazy I know I can do<em>  
><em>'Cause crazy is perfect,<em>  
><em>And fucked up is perfect,<em>  
><em>So I will be perfect for you.<em>

* * *

><p>"I turned into my mother last night," Mindy said absently as she and Drake were curled up in bed the next morning. Neither of them had any plans, so they were enjoying the morning for what it was. They didn't say much, but Mindy was still overly apologetic for throwing the plate, though Drake assured her she was forgiven and could stop saying she was sorry.<p>

"What do you mean?" Drake asked, feeling Mindy shift closer to him.

"When I was younger, my parents used to fight all the time. They weren't petty little arguments. Yes, they would fight over petty _things_, but the arguments themselves were gigantic. My mother always used to throw things because she got angry, and I vowed that whenever I found the right person, I would never do that. My father ended up with many a cut or bruise due to my mother's occasional uncontrollable rage and recklessness. They probably should've gotten divorced because they were seldom happy together, but alas, that's not the point."

Drake felt her thin frame begin to shake against him; he began to rub her shoulders softly as he kissed her head.

"The point is," she said, her voice beginning to quiver, "that I never wanted to become her. I was scared that she was what I would turn into, and I never wanted to be that. I don't want to be like her, Drake. I'm one step closer now."

"You're not," he offered, feeling her hot tears soak into his soft pajama t-shirt. "Mindy, just because you had one off night doesn't mean that's what you'll turn into."

"My father hated my mother deep down. I know that. Neither of them has ever outright admitted it, but he hates her, and my mother knows it. I don't want that to be us."

Drake sighed as he wiped her tears as gingerly as he could. He was used to being the unstable one in every relationship he was in, be it with another woman or with a friend. He grew up being the unstable one compared to Josh, and he had accepted that it was his role. As his life had gone on, he knew he'd always need someone to be the stability, to watch out for him, and to protect him. With Mindy, at times the roles were reversed. Mindy radiated an image of strength, and whenever she broke down, his heart tore in two. He attempted to be the strong foundation she needed, but he didn't exactly know how to do that.

Before he could speak, Mindy continued. "I don't want to end up like that, and I'm already on my way there. I don't want to do that to you."

"It was one time, baby. And since you're so aware of it happening, you can stop it. We won't end up like that, alright?"

She nodded into his shirt. "How's your face?"

"Sore," he admitted, "but fine."

"I'm so s-"

"You can stop apologizing," Drake interrupted, giving Mindy a smile before brushing a few strands of hair from her face.

"You're not mad at me?" She looked up at him with glassy eyes.

"I'm not mad at you. Really and truly."

"Okay." She stroked Drake's chest lightly. "Thank you for being so understanding."

"One silly fight isn't going to change how much I love you. It would take a lot to do that, Mindy. You know that."

Mindy nodded with a hint of a grin resting on her lips. "I love you, too."


	14. Wonder

**Wonder – Jack Savoretti**

_All our innocence is gone.  
>If you like I'll take the blame<br>For all the things that you have done._

* * *

><p>Mindy sat in bed with her head resting against the headboard, and the moon shining through the curtains. She sighed as she looked around the empty room, feeling like the darkness was consuming her entirely.<p>

She hated to sleep alone. If Drake was away, she didn't mind it in the least, but knowing that he was lying on the couch because she'd confined him there was something that she couldn't handle. He had been wrong tonight; everything that had happened was his fault, and of course she was completely and utterly furious with him, but the fact of the matter was that he was downstairs alone on the couch and she was upstairs alone in bed. Mindy felt so lonely, even though she knew he wasn't far away.

In one way, she wanted to make him suffer. Drake didn't even _deserve_ to share the bed with her tonight. In another way, though, Mindy couldn't stand the thought of him lying on the couch alone. Something about that thought didn't settle well with her.

The weaker side of her won the stronger side of her over, and she got out of bed, starting toward the door. Mindy stood at the staircase, debating on whether or not she should even make the effort. She did want to talk it out with him, but she was sure that Drake was sound asleep. Quietly, she tip toed down the stairs, trying to make as little noise as possible. As she entered the living room, she saw that Drake was cuddled up under the blanket. She felt defeated and turned to leave when Drake spoke, startling her completely.

"Hi," he said softly.

"Hey." Mindy jumped a bit and headed back into the room. "I thought you were sleeping."

"Nope." Drake was motionless. "Couldn't sleep."

"Me, either," Mindy replied, sitting down in an armchair across from the couch.

"Look, Mindy, I'm really sorry." He looked at her with sad eyes.

"I know."

"I just wanted you to know that…"

She cut him off. "It doesn't matter." She had intended for her tone to sound comforting, but it came out sharper than expected. Mindy watched as he shifted his gaze from her to the ceiling, his facial expression changing completely and noticeably stiffening up.

After a deafening silence, Mindy finally spoke. "The bed is so empty without you."

There was a glimmer in his eyes for a moment as Drake let his eyes fall on her again. With a laugh, he asked, "Was that an invitation?"

"Ha." She averted her eyes to the floor, not knowing what else to say. Silence overtook the room again as they both sat drowning in their thoughts. While they were together, there was a hollow emptiness that could have been cut with a knife.

"I guess it was an invitation," she finally said, a faint trace of a smile coloring her face.

"You sure?" Drake asked, trying his best not to sound too eager at the chance of getting into bed. He was lonely, too; the thought of Mindy sleeping without him tore him apart, even though he knew that he deserved any horrible treatment he got. It was all his fault, and the feeling he hated most was loneliness – he was feeling just that. Mindy's punishment had worked.

Mindy nodded with no reluctance, letting Drake know that she really was sure and not just having a moment of weakness. "Yeah."

He got up from the couch folding the blanket he had been using. He followed behind Mindy as they walked up the stairs without saying a word; Drake knew that he was still walking on eggshells. There was no way that he was in the clear quite yet. Mindy didn't stay angry for long, but it definitely hadn't been long enough yet.

They walked into the bedroom and crawled into the covers without a single word. As much as things between them were noticeably better than they were a few hours ago, there were still words left unsaid that were hanging like dark clouds above them. Sleeping on it, however, was a probable solution to their problems; everything always seemed brighter in the morning.

Drake got settled into bed, and in only a few seconds, Mindy was lying across his chest and his arms were around her. They fit together; lying like that made it easy to see that they were meant for one another. Their bodies fit perfectly in line with each other as Drake stroked Mindy's back with his fingertips while she grew drowsy. "I'm sorry," he whispered, feeling like he needed to apologize yet again.

Mindy kissed him gently. "Thank you."

"I know I sound like a broken record, but I really hope you can forgive me…unless you already did."

She smiled. "Forgiveness will come tomorrow…but for tonight, you're just lucky I like the bed better with you in it."

Drake laughed as he kissed her head, feeling her nestle closer to him. "I'll take it."


	15. So Long

In this piece, Drake and Mindy have broken up and have a three year old son, Kyson.

**So Long - Keri Latimer**

_This ship has sailed, this flight has failed._  
><em>This last caress against the sky, the last laugh against the shoreline.<em>  
><em>Left to myself what levels off,<em>  
><em>This grace have I embraced;<em>  
><em>Did I just take whatever was given to me?<em>  
><em>So long, so long.<em>

* * *

><p>"Mommy wants to talk to you!" Kyson said cheerily, holding the phone out to Drake.<p>

Drake smiled through gritted teeth as he made his way toward the table where his son was eating lunch. His son thought it was exciting when Mommy and Daddy wanted to talk to each other, but little did he know it usually meant something bad. He wondered what the hell Kyson could've said to Mindy that made her want to talk to him; it couldn't have been anything good. They were friends, mostly, but they never asked to talk to one another really, unless something was going on. He took the phone and reluctantly placed it to his ear, scared of what Mindy was about to say. "Hi," he said shakily, trying to hide the annoyance and confusion in his tone.

"Hey. Kyson said you were sick?" Mindy asked, worry evident.

"Uh, yeah, a little." The words seemed to stick in his throat because he knew she could always see right through him and his excuses.

"Do you need me to ta-"

"No, no, god, no," Drake interrupted, not wanting to miss a single moment. He hadn't seen Kyson in two weeks, and that was enough time lost. "I'm just trying to recover from the tour. You know I always get like this."

"What did you take this time?" Mindy interrogated. Drake could tell she was sorry for asking but knew it was a necessary question.

Drake looked over at Kyson happily eating his lunch and quickly ducked out of the room, heading into the living room. "Look, I – " He couldn't lie to her. Ever since he cheated on her and he saw the brokenness that lived in her eyes for so many months after, he found it absolutely impossible to lie to her.

"I don't want an explanation. I just want to know what you took. That's all."

"The last night, and the last night only, it was coke." He heard her let out a massive sigh in disappointment. "And I haven't had it in so long that my body isn't handling it well. I'll be fine. I'm already feeling much better than I was last night, but it's just coming off that high."

"I can't control what you do on tour. I don't want to control what you do on tour, but how can you be that much of an _idiot _that you would do coke the night before you come home and have to deal with your son? How, Drake? Do it while you're out on the road, fine, let the audience suffer while you have a shitty performance, but don't let your family suffer."

Drake felt tears sting his eyes; she could always bring him back to reality, back to earth, back to rational thinking. "I'm a jackass."

"You're _not_." She placed emphasis on the not and let out another sigh. She sighed more when talking to him. It was exhausting most of the time. "You make mistakes. More than most people yes, but you're just trying to get by. Just do the best you can, okay? I know if I took Kyson before the week was over you'd be just as sad as he is. Just be careful, Drake. Please?"

He nodded, temporarily forgetting that Mindy couldn't see him. "I will. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize to me. There's nothing to be sorry for. You have to live your life, make whatever choices you need to make. What you do when you're not with our son is nothing I plan to intervene in; I just need to make sure that our son is okay and that you're not putting him in any danger. That's all."

There was a heavy silence before she continued, "And I care about you, too, obviously. So, please don't fuck up."

"Okay."

"Well, I'll let you go." She sighed again, and Drake almost wanted to apologize for making her so annoyed. "Have fun with Kyson, and I hope you feel better soon."

"Thanks, Mindy. Talk to you later."

"Bye, honey."

Term of endearment. She was worried. "Bye, babe." Drake hung up and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to take it all in. He took a second to compose himself before putting his phone back in his pocket and walking out into the kitchen, plopping into a chair next to Kyson at the kitchen table. He wondered why he ever let her get away.


	16. Summertime

I felt like some fluff was needed after that last chapter! ;)**  
><strong>

**Summertime – Porgy and Bess**

_Summertime and the livin' is easy…_

* * *

><p>It was hot. Not just warm. It was unbearable, sticky, walk-outside-you're-hit-with-a-wall, and completely muggy and disgusting. The air conditioner in Drake and Mindy's apartment wasn't quite working exactly as they wanted it to, but the repairman couldn't make it until the next day. They were dealing with temperatures slightly cooler than outside, but not cool enough.<p>

When Mindy crawled into bed a little after midnight, it was still well over eighty degrees inside and outside, and she was miserable. She'd stripped down to her bra and underwear in an attempt to feel a little cooler. She found it impossible to sleep without any sort of blankets, so she pulled the cool sheet over her legs, hoping to fall asleep. Mindy wasn't having much luck and eventually threw her hair into a ponytail to try to stay cool.

She was almost asleep when she felt Drake slip under the sheet, his skin damp and smooth against hers. "Hi," she whispered, turning around to give him a kiss.

"Hey," Drake replied, pulling her closer to his bare chest.

"It's too hot," Mindy moaned, not objecting to the fact that they were spooning despite the heat.

"I know a way to cool down," Drake whispered, planting kisses along Mindy's jaw line.

"I somehow don't think this will cool anything down." She looked at him with flat eyes, annoyed at the heat.

"Fuck logic." He tugged at her bra strap with his teeth. Who was she to argue?


	17. When You're Gone

**When You're Gone - Avril Lavigne**

_And the days feel like years when I'm alone,_  
><em>And the best where you lie is made up on your side.<em>  
><em>When you walk away,<em>  
><em>I count the steps that you take.<em>  
><em>Do you see how much I need you right now?<em>

* * *

><p>It was 3:32AM when Mindy's phone went off, awaking her from a sound sleep. She groaned, not amused that someone would dare to call her at this hour. She had to be up at 7:30 to go to work, and she didn't get enough sleep as it was; interruptions didn't help anything at all. "Hello?" she said almost angrily, not bothering to see who was calling.<p>

"Hi, baby."

Mindy felt a smile tugging on her lips at the sound of his voice. "Hey, Drake. What are you doing calling me now?"

"What time is it there?" he asked, guilt creeping into his tone. "San Diego is three hours ahead of New York, right?"

"Behind." She couldn't help but grin at his cluelessness.

"So, it's…" It sounded like he was shifting something to get a look at the clock. "Oh, fuck, Mindy, I'm sorry!"

"It's fine."

"Then I'll let you go, I guess." It sounded as though he'd just deflated.

"No, it's fine. What's going on?" Drake had been away for two weeks on tour. New York was one of the last stops, and Mindy couldn't wait for him to get home. The bed felt so empty without him; she missed cuddling him after a long day and talking about everything. They hadn't gotten to speak very much due to the time differences and both their hectic schedules, so she'd stop everything when he would call and vice versa. In the two week time span, they'd only managed one Skype call; they were missing each other dearly.

"I just really, really miss you." Drake sounded so small as he said it. "I want to come home."

She sighed, rolling over to look at Drake's side of the bed that had remained untouched for so long. "I miss you, too. You'll be home soon, though. You've got fans to attend to."

"I'd rather attend to you."

"I'll hold you to that," Mindy muttered, already getting excited for the welcome home celebration that was bound to happen three days from now when Drake came back. "What are you doing up so early?"

"They're interviewing me for some local morning show thingy," Drake explained with a yawn. "I don't even know why, but I'm going because my manager said I have to be there."

Mindy laughed, running a hand through her hair. "I wish I could watch it. I'm sure you'll be great. Don't do that nervous drumming you always do on your knees. It's distracting."

"I'll try to make a mental note," he said with a bit of a chuckle. Mindy heard voices in the background. "Shit, my band said we've gotta get going. I hate to cut this short. Can I call you at work today?"

"Whenever you have a free minute. Good luck this morning."

"Thanks. I love you."

"I love you, too." She was about to say goodbye when she thought of something she just had to ask. "Drake, do you have a minute?"

"Yeah, a few seconds, why?"

"Could you sing to me? I miss hearing you." She felt silly for asking, but she longed to hear him sing again. She didn't realize how quiet their apartment was without him; Drake was always making some sort of noise, whether it be walking around humming incessantly, strumming his guitar gently, or plucking out songs on the keyboard. The silence was deafening, and it was enough to remind her every moment of every day that he was so far away from her.

Drake's smile was evident through the phone as he said, "Of course, baby." He softly broke out into the song he wrote especially for her; he never played it live, and it would never make it on any of his albums. It was their little secret, their special thing. After he finished, he said, "Bye, Mindy. Talk to you later."

"Bye." She hung up the phone with a smile and happily fell back to sleep, Drake's soothing voice ringing in her ears.


	18. Wrap My Arms

**I heard this song and immediately felt all the Drindy feels. It's so _them._**

**Wrap My Arms – Brian McFadden**

_I try and make a life for us_  
><em>Maybe with this guitar.<em>  
><em>The first time I ever sung to you,<em>  
><em>You never laughed so hard.<em>  
><em>You know you look so beautiful<em>  
><em>Standing in your dress.<em>  
><em>I try and show off all my moves,<em>  
><em>But you know that I don't dance.<em>

* * *

><p>"So, um, what do you think?" Drake asked nervously, putting his guitar down next to him as he waited for Mindy's reaction. He just finished playing her the song he wrote for her; he was sincerely hoping she liked it.<p>

Her grin turned into a fit of giggles. _Great_, he thought. _Not exactly the reaction I was hoping for_.

"You can just tell me if you hate it," he said, shifting uncomfortably. "It's fine."

"I didn't hate it," Mindy replied with a smile. "It's just…" She sighed and looked at the ground, grin still remaining on her face. "No one's ever written a song about me before."

"You can't say that ever again." Drake offered her a smile.

Mindy felt lightheaded and silly; she wasn't sure why she was so speechless. She wasn't ever one to get flustered, and this had done it. It was the most beautiful love song she'd ever heard, and it was to _her_. "That was so amazing. Thank you, Drake." She leaned in and kissed him gently. "Thank you so much."

"I'm glad you liked it. I was worried."

"You have an amazing talent," she said as Drake intertwined his fingers with hers. "I'm not used to dating someone so romantic. The people I usually date…well." She laughed mid-thought. "They've always thought things like going to planetariums and spending the evening talking about chemical compounds are the only things a girl could want. It's nice to have some real romance."

"Ew, that's gross," Drake laughed, grabbing a remote from the coffee table and turning on the stereo. Gentle piano music softly escaped the speakers. "I can promise you I won't ever do that! I don't know Helium from Hydrogen from my ass from a tea kettle…"

Mindy just giggled, shaking her head slightly. "And that's really and truly okay with me."

Drake grinned. "Well, if you're looking for romance…" He stood up, pulling Mindy with him. "Let's dance."

"I don't…"

"Don't worry. I'm not much of a dancer," he laughed, enveloping her in his embrace as they swayed slightly to the music.

Mindy rested her head against Drake's broad shoulder, taking in the moment for what it was. He kissed her head gently. "Thank you for this," Mindy told him. "You're more amazing than I ever could've known."

Drake's cheeks flushed a light shade of pink. "I love you, Mindy Crenshaw."

"I love you, too, Drake Parker."


	19. All Alone at the Disco

**All Alone at the Disco – Drake Bell**

_I know I never should've left your side, left your bed,_  
><em>Kept the shades drawn, kept the light from the window.<em>  
><em>Will I ever get her back?<em>  
><em>Will I ever get her back?<em>  
><em>You don't have to tell me what I already know.<em>

* * *

><p>Drake knew he shouldn't have done it. He knew that it was a bad idea. He knew that getting into bed with Mindy Crenshaw was a mistake, but through beer goggles, she looked beautiful. She was familiar and unfamiliar. The dress hugged her in all the right places. Her hair hung in her eyes. Her smile was inviting. Under the lights of the club, she was enticing. He wasn't going to do anything – he really wasn't – but before he knew it, she was pressing up against him on the dance floor and he could hardly breathe.<p>

His hands slid down her curves easily and his lips soon pressed against her neck as she grinded her hips against his. Before he could blink, Mindy was dragging him by the hand and out the door and into a cab and into her apartment and into her bed and into her skin. She tasted sweet, like strawberries and cream and smelled like vanilla. His hands slid through her hair and hers down his hips and onto his zipper.

Soon her bra was off and so were his jeans and the rest of their clothes were in a heap on the floor and they were kissing and going fast and hard. They fell asleep completely tangled in each other and completely content. Drake woke up at 5AM, just a bit before the sun, and realized that everything had been a mistake and he needed to leave. He planted a gentle kiss on Mindy's cheek and swore he saw a smile color her face. He fished for his clothes on the floor quietly, scrambling to get them back on before leaving her apartment without a sound.

Mindy awoke three hours later disorientated and trying to piece together what had happened from the night before. She knew it was wrong, but she wished he would've stayed.


	20. Him and Her

**Him and Her – Jack Savoretti**

_Maybe she's right_  
><em>he's not the best or her type,<em>  
><em>He doesn't like singing to a crowd.<em>  
><em>He's just a guy who's staying up all night<em>  
><em>trying not to sing too loud.<em>

* * *

><p>Mindy wasn't an open person. She spent years putting up a wall around her heart so she'd never feel heartbreak. After she and Josh broke up, her heart was never the same again, and that was when she started to become so guarded. By the time she and Drake started dating, she had years of practice of not letting anyone in.<p>

Drake was an open book; he would talk to anyone and everyone about anything. He had a hard time dealing with Mindy being so closed. He knew she wasn't comfortable with talking about everything, so he never tried to push it. He knew that she'd let him in whenever she was ready. When she was, he'd be there to listen.

Mindy wasn't much for PDA, either. Drake loved to hold hands, kiss, and cuddle at every chance he got – something that surprised her – and she didn't want any part of that. Even when they were alone, she barely let him put his arm around her. Drake wasn't ever offended; he knew that she'd come around in her own time.

One night, she came home from work, complaining that she'd had a horrible day. Mindy joined Drake on the couch and fell in his arms for the first time. She curled up to him with her head on his shoulder and her arms tightly wrapped around him as he stroked her back gently and kissed her head. It was that night that she finally started letting him in. She bared her soul to Drake that night as she cuddled up to him with her head resting on his chest. Mindy finally opened up though she had been scared to do so. She was worried Drake wouldn't want to listen to all her problems, and he'd run the second things threatened to get serious between them.

Little did she know, it was then he realized that he was in love with her.


	21. Dancin' on Daddy's Shoes

**Not really Drake/Mindy, but this fits, I guess. A bit more Daddy!Drake fluff. And she's Abbey after Abbey Road. ;)**

**Dancin' on Daddy's Shoes - Leon Redbone**

_Dancin' on Daddy's shoes,_  
><em>Dancin' all around the room.<em>  
><em>Rollin' the rug up,<em>  
><em>Kickin' our heels up,<em>  
><em>Dancin' away the blues.<em>

* * *

><p>"Abbey, are you ready? We have to take you to Uncle Josh's!" Drake called to his daughter, straightening his bowtie as he looked in the mirror one more time.<p>

"Do I have to go, Daddy?" Abbey asked, appearing in the doorway with pleading brown eyes. She pouted better than anyone Drake knew, and he knew that look was something she'd inherited directly from her mother. Mindy had the ability to make you break with one facial expression.

Drake laughed, turning to face her. "Yes, you have to go," he replied, squatting down in front of her and taking her hands. "You love to go to Uncle Josh's, anyway! What's the problem?"

She shrugged, reaching out to touch Drake's bowtie. "You look very handsome, Daddy."

"Thanks, sweetheart." He kissed her before getting up and heading to his closet to get some shoes.

"Are you ready, Drake?" Mindy yelled from the other room. "I just have to finish my makeup!"

"Yep, I'll be good, babe."

"Where are you and Mommy going again?" Abbey quizzed, sitting down atop Drake and Mindy's bed. She was completely fascinated with her parents' attire; Mommy and Daddy got to dress like a real life prince and princess for a night, and she wanted to be a part of it.

"A wedding," Drake told her, putting on his shoes. "For one of Mommy's friends from college."

Abbey cocked her head to the side, not understanding weddings. They were only something she'd seen in Disney movies – she wasn't aware real life people got married, too. "What do you do at weddings?"

"Well, there's the ceremony, and at the ceremony, the bride and groom actually get married, and then after that, there's something called a reception where you celebrate the wedding and you…" He caught himself from continuing. "Dance. There's a lot of dancing at receptions."

Abbey grinned, thinking again to the princess movies she watched day in and day out where she was always so transfixed on the dancing scenes. "Are you gonna dance with Mommy?"

Drake nodded with a smile. "I _am_ gonna dance with Mommy."

"Will you dance with me?"

"Right now?" Abbey nodded, eyes shining brightly at the thought. "Come here," Drake grinned, standing up and motioning her toward him.

She happily hopped off the bed, scurrying to her father. He was much taller than he was, and she looked up at him brimming with life, excited that she got to dance with him like a grown-up. He held out his hands and she grabbed them tightly, stepping on top of his shoes. Drake wrapped his hand around her waist as she held onto his arm for dear life, grinning the entire time. He started humming softly, watching her smile grow.

"I'm like a princess," she whispered as they swayed back and forth on the floor.

Drake leaned down to kiss her head. "You're my princess."


	22. Another Night

**Angst, angst, and more angst.**

**Another Night - Nathan Foley**

_'Twas a rainy night when you came around my way  
>With your hands around my shoulders begging me to stay.<br>Just another night, but it felt so strong.  
>I thought that I was over you because you left and did me wrong.<br>But I know I should've let you go,  
>But through those clouded eyes you said to me...<em>

_"I'm waiting for another night to see you smile.  
>Forget all I've done to you,<br>Come back home and love you once again."  
><em>

* * *

><p>She thought that one day maybe he'd come back.<p>

(And he did.)

He'd say to her, "I've changed. I promise. I'm sorry. Will you forgive me? I want you back."

(And he didn't.)

Instead, it was more of a plea, not a promise. A sad plea that she so badly wanted to give into, to fall into his arms again, to let her lips touch his, to reclaim what was once hers.

(But she didn't.)

He did want her back; he told her that with trembling hands and eyes welled with tears.

(But she wouldn't take him back.)

He looked at her and she'd never seen him look so dejected. She just wanted to make him feel better, even though he was the one that ruined everything in her life. She just wanted to tell him that everything was okay.

(But it wasn't.)

When he walked in her door after apologizing profusely, and she politely offered him a cup of coffee, and instead he said no and pressed his lips to hers, she should've stopped it.

(But she didn't.)

When he started sliding her sweater off her shoulder and she started pointing him in the direction of the bedroom, she should've stopped it.

(But she didn't.)

When they finished and he looked at her, breathlessly asking, "Will you take me back?" She wanted to push his hair out of his eyes, kiss him, and say she would.

(But she didn't.)

She broke him exactly like he broke her, and she wanted to be happy that he knew what that felt like.

(But she wasn't.)

She wanted to call for him when he walked down the driveway like a wounded puppy and tell him she'd give him a second chance.

(But she didn't.)

She wanted to regret making love to him one last time, just so she could get some closure, even if it broke him.

(But she didn't.)

Mostly, she just wanted not to love him anymore.

(But she did.)


	23. A Little More Time

I wasn't going to post more angst, but I feel that last chapter needed a "response." This is Drake's reaction to all that's gone on. I promise fluff is coming soon...maybe even another one tonight just because of the overwhelming amount of angst! :P

**A Little More Time - Drake Bell**

_Another drink, another roll of the dice._  
><em>Another night I pay the price.<em>  
><em>Too many times I took wicked advice.<em>  
><em>Give me just a little more time.<em>

_I fell in love only once in my life;_  
><em>We didn't fight, well, maybe once or twice.<em>  
><em>He came along now this whiskey is my wife.<em>  
><em>Give me just a little more time.<em>

* * *

><p>He knew he didn't need the fifth glass of whiskey. His vision was already blurring and his balance was already unsteady as he slumped on the rickety bar stool. The first two glasses burned on their way down, and he'd squeezed his eyes closed at the pain that entered his throat. After that, the burn was gone and the drinks didn't faze him anymore – he just felt numb. That was exactly what he wanted to feel. He didn't want to remember that he would go home to an empty house and an empty bed, empty because he drove her away. Remembering it caused him far more pain than that little burn in his throat.<p>

He drank the fifth glass in one hit, slamming it back down on the bar and propping his head up on his hands. "You should get going," the bartender told him, taking the glass away.

"Got nowhere to go," he replied, shaking his head and watching as the bartender sighed and headed away. He let out an unsteady breath as he looked around the dimly lit bar, colors swirling together due to his intoxication. He didn't want to leave – the bar was so full of people, so full of noise, so full of life, unlike his empty house with the empty bed. He knew he was going to have to call a cab, considering he could barely sit up straight, but he wasn't ready to quite yet.

"Hey," a sweet voice said dangerously close to his ear. He turned to see a blonde with long wavy hair and a skin tight pink dress sitting on the stool next to him. "Come here often?" She flashed him a white smile.

"Sometimes," he slurred, running a hand through his hair as a grin crept onto his face. He wondered what it would take to get her home. Probably not much, he figured, but he knew that he shouldn't. He knew that it was pointless to bring her home because she wouldn't fill the hole he was walking around with. She wouldn't patch his broken heart. But for one night, she'd fill the empty house and the empty bed.

"You're cute," she told him, letting her hand crawl up his leg, smiling wickedly as he tried to conceal his evident pleasure.

"My place?" he asked, though he wasn't sure why those were the words that had escaped. It was too late because she was nodding and he was getting off that stool almost falling. She caught him and they left with his head on her shoulder and arm wrapped tightly around her waist.

When he got in the cab with her, their lips already touching and his hands sliding down her unfamiliar curves, he knew it was all wrong. He knew he'd still be walking around with his heart ripped out whether or not he took this girl home. She wasn't the one he loved. She wasn't the one he missed. She wasn't the one he wanted. She was merely a nameless face and warm body to make the bed less empty. He wanted to say no, tell her that he made a mistake, tell her she couldn't go back to his place, tell her that he'd be fine on his own, but her body pressed up against his felt so damn good that he could barely speak. But no matter how good it felt, she was a stranger, and that was all she'd ever be.

When they got to his house and he was fumbling with his keys, trying to unlock the door with her hot breath against his neck, he knew it was a bad idea. He knew he should've told her, "It's not worth it. I'm sorry. Please go home." Instead, he focused on the fact that the house and bed wouldn't be empty tonight. His heart would still be empty, but the bed wouldn't be.

He let her in the door, and the second it was shut, she attached herself to him, giving him sloppy kisses, sucking hard on his neck, and letting her hand find its way to his zipper. She smiled at the friction against her hand. He wanted to tell her to stop it because he wasn't enjoying himself. He was returning the kisses without much thought, feeling dazed and confused. He didn't want her. He didn't want to have her. He just wanted not to have an empty bed.

He led her up the stairs while unzipping her dress as she worked on getting his pants off, and by the time they were at the top of the stairs, his jeans had been thrown down the staircase followed by her dress. He pulled her into the bedroom, falling onto the bed as she started pulling off his shirt, leaving a trail of kisses down his chest. And the only thing he could think of was how this girl wasn't her, wasn't the one he still loved with all of him, wasn't the one he wanted with him, wasn't someone he even wanted in his house. She was only a distraction who wasn't even that; his mind kept wandering to her. But his bed wasn't empty tonight.

The long, blonde hair felt wrong against his fingers. It wasn't the brunette, short hair he was so used to. And the way her tongue felt against his was so unfamiliar compared to the one he always knew. And the bra that took him longer than usual to get off, partly due to being so drunk and partly because he wasn't used to it, felt strange after he'd memorized how to get hers off quickly. When she was his. When he could say that he had her. When he could hold her and kiss her and love her. When he took everything for granted.

And when they finished and pulled the cool white sheets up around their naked bodies, she grinned and pressed her tongue to his ear, making him shudder. She whispered, "This was great, love. So, so great." And all he could think of was how that wasn't the voice he knew, the one that giggled when they finished and whispered, "I love you, baby." Because this woman was nothing. She was a stranger. A stranger who easily filled the empty bed, but not the gaping hole in his heart.

And when he woke up with the taste of her on his tongue, the bed was empty again. The nameless girl had escaped before having to face him again. He felt like an idiot for even inviting the woman back to his house. Sighing, he pulled a pillow over his face, and if he sniffed hard enough, the scent of the one he loved was still there. A reminder of what once was, what could've been, what should've been. What he should've had.

Instead, all he had was an empty house and an empty bed.


	24. Beautiful Madness

**Beautiful Madness - Delta Goodrem**

_You make me laugh under the pouring rain I barely feel it._  
><em>Like the unexpected way you drew me in.<em>

* * *

><p>It was one of those rainy days in LA that didn't happen often. As much as Drake would've loved to be curled up in bed as he actually did have a day off, Mindy had dragged him to the store to help her pick out a dress for their next red carpet event. He sat outside the dressing room in one of the chairs they had for the men who had been brought against their will to the trendy boutique. He tapped his foot on the shiny pink floor, thinking about how wonderful his bed sounded. The store had a clear roof, which was usually a good thing to let in the sun, but today, the rain plopped down and smacked the window. It was only a light drizzle, but the smack of the rain on the plexiglass was enough to give Drake a headache…and taunt him because he was stuck in this store.<p>

Mindy emerged from the dressing room wearing a pink dress. "What do you think?" she asked, posing for Drake and spinning to give him a 360 degree view of the dress.

"You look pretty," he said, resting his head on his hand.

"I don't know." She walked over the mirror and took a look at herself. "It looks okay?"

"Yeah, it looks really nice on you. It's my favorite out of the ones you've tried on."

"You sure?"

He nodded with a smile. "You look great."

"Alright." Mindy looked in the mirror again and cracked a smile. "I do like this one. I think I'll get it." She kissed his cheek before starting back into the dressing room. "Thanks for coming with me. I know this is torture for you!"

"I wouldn't call it torture, but it's close," Drake laughed with a wink. He was tired of sitting, so he got up and started to stroll through the store, looking at dress after dress he was glad Mindy hadn't bothered to try on. Looking at the mass amounts, he was surprised they hadn't spent five hours in the store. Before long, she was calling him.

"Drake, you ready?" she asked, dangling her shopping back in the air.

"Oh, yeah, let's go," he said, pulling the keys from his pocket.

As they headed toward the door, Mindy yelped, "you've got to be kidding me."

It was pouring. The rain had gone from sprinkling to monsoon season in almost no time. "We have an umbrella…in the car." Drake groaned at his realization.

"Let's run," Mindy said, opening the door and feeling the water splash her the second they stepped outside.

They both ran for the car, laughing loudly and getting soaked as they did; they hadn't parked too far from the store, but in this weather, ten seconds outside was way too long. "The door's locked!" Mindy yelled, standing at the car and pulling the door.

"Oh, fuck, I forgot to press the button!" Drake replied, frantically pressing the unlock button on his keys' remote starter. The second it was unlocked, Mindy jumped into the car and Drake did the same. He sighed as he fell to the seat and wiped his wet bangs, which were now plastered to his face, from his eyes.

"Oh my god. This is ridiculous," Mindy said, pointing to the copious amounts of water that were falling onto the windshield and wiping the water off her face.

"The good news?" Drake laughed, leaning into the back seat. "I found the umbrella."


	25. Sanctuary

**Sanctuary - Delta Goodrem**

_Closer to the sun,_  
><em>To your heart I run.<em>

* * *

><p>It was a chilly night in LA, and Drake and Mindy were curled up beneath the covers. Drake had fallen asleep about a half hour ago while Mindy was struggling to join him in dreamland. She was freezing, so she was snuggled up to him as close as she could manage, feeling his breath warm and even against her neck.<p>

Mindy hadn't slept much lately due to things being hectic at work, and it was finally taking its toll on her. She was exhausted and frustrated that sleep wasn't coming as quickly as she wanted. Her mind wouldn't stop racing. She was thinking of case study after case study that lied ahead of her, testimonies she had to give, people she had to prove guilty – all of it. She couldn't get her mind to shut down. Mindy kept looking at the clock, thinking about how she couldn't function on so few hours of sleep. Then her mind wandered to the fact that in a few months, she and Drake would have a baby, and she would _have _to function on little sleep. It would become the new normal. And that was a daunting realization.

After lying in bed for over an hour without falling asleep, she felt herself slowly succumb. Her eyes were just about to close, and she was about to drift off when she felt Drake's hand snake onto her pregnant stomach.

"Drake, what are you doing?" Mindy asked wearily, turning to him. "I thought you were asleep."

"Well, I was," he replied, and she could see his deep eyes glisten in the slight glow of the moonlight, "but I had a nightmare that something was wrong with the baby, and…"

A grin spread across Mindy's face as she felt Drake gently rubbing her belly. "All is fine. Goodnight. I love you."

"I love you, too, baby," Drake whispered, kissing her cheek.


	26. Write About Me

**All the titles are actual Drake Bell songs, aside from "I Miss You." ;)  
><strong>

**Write About Me – Jeff Coffey**

_Write about me; tell me you love me._  
><em>Write about me; tell me a story.<em>  
><em>Just sing a love song so I can sing along.<em>  
><em>Write about me; make it a good one.<em>  
><em>Simple and free, together with some harmony.<em>  
><em>If a little inspiration is all that you need,<em>  
><em>Write about me.<em>

* * *

><p>Drake wrote a lot of songs. He'd written so many over his songwriting career that some had melded together. Lyrics started to become one, and he was sure that he could sing a medley of every song he'd ever written - they all started to sound the same.<p>

He wrote songs about a lot of people. When Josh was done with him when they were in high school, he wrote a song called "I Miss You" that never saw the light of day. When he got his first number one single, he wrote a song called "Hollywood Girl" after all the girls that came to his concerts looking for their big break. When his career started going downhill, he wrote a song called "It's Only Time," because it was only time until his end was near. When he and Mindy reconnected, he wrote a song called "Makes Me Happy" because he was glad to have found her again. While in rehab, he wrote a song about Mindy called "Down We Fall," thanking her for saving him. When he got out of rehab and found out she had a boyfriend, he wrote a song for Mindy called "I Need You Now," trying to show her that he wanted her more than anything. When Drake and Mindy said I love you for the first time, he wrote a song called "Our Love," saying their love could change the world. He wrote a lot of songs about Mindy. Most were happy and blissful, but some, like "Lonely," were filled with sorrow and written when they fought.

Mindy always loved to hear the songs Drake wrote about her. No one had ever done anything like that for her, and she was amazed that she was his consistent muse. She remembered always being slightly jealous of the girls Drake serenaded in high school; now was her turn. There was one song, however, called "Fallen For You" that Drake wrote when they were younger. He still played it every so often when he was bored and warming up. Mindy was led to believe that it was about his longest lasting high school girlfriend Carly and how it was love at first sight. What Mindy didn't know was that it was about the first time Drake saw her.

_I can't believe I've fallen for you…_


	27. Leave

I, obviously, usually feel quite passionately about what I'm writing about or else I wouldn't be writing it, but for some reason writing this made me so ridiculously sad. Oh my god. haha.

**Leave - Once the Musical (or movie)**

_And the truth has a habit_  
><em> Of falling outta your mouth.<em>  
><em> Well, now that it's come,<em>  
><em> If you don't mind...<em>

_ Leave, leave,_  
><em> And please yourself at the same time.<em>  
><em> Leave, leave,<em>  
><em> Let go of my hand.<em>  
><em> You said what you have to now leave.<em>

* * *

><p>"I can't do this anymore, Drake!" Mindy yelled, running her hand angrily through her hair. "I just can't do this."<p>

"Mindy, we can make this work," Drake pleaded as he grabbed her hand. "Please, Mindy. I love you."

"Yeah, you may love me, but you're a fuck up! You fuck up everything good. Every single thing good that you have going on you somehow manage to fuck up. You just – God, Drake, God. I don't even understand how you can do that. It's like the only thing you're even remotely good at in life is fucking up your life and everyone else's around you."

He felt like Mindy had just slice a knife through his chest as he dropped her hand. They had said some harsh words to each other in the past, but nothing had ever made him feel like_ that_. It was like the tables had been turned and they were back in high school where they thrived on vicious words rolling off their tongues. He felt his entire body go numb as he looked at her. Her face had completely softened, losing the hard, angry edge she'd had about her just a few seconds ago. It was almost as if the look she was giving him was supposed to be her apology. He wanted to forgive her, but the tears that stung his eyes said otherwise.

"Drake, I – "

"Leave."

"Please, just give me a second," Mindy said softly, starting to put her arms around him.

Drake stepped back out of her reach. He wanted to brush this off as another one of their all too common fights, but this was different and they both knew it. He was crying. He was crying, and Drake Parker didn't cry. "Leave."

"Can I – "

"LEAVE, MINDY!" Drake shouted, pointing his finger toward the door. "LEAVE."

Mindy stood in front of him completely frozen. "I –"

"If I'm such a fuck up, why are you still standing here? You just told me that the only thing I'm good at is fucking things up, so why are you still standing here? Go find yourself someone better. Go find yourself someone who's more suited to you and your stupid little work friends who I can never fit in with and your intelligence that I can't match – go find someone more like _you_. Someone who's more perfect than I am, since apparently I'm not even close."

Mindy opened her mouth speak, but instead just kept opening and closing it as though she'd formulate a thought that suddenly didn't seem good enough. "I didn't mean it like that" was what she finally decided on.

"Then how did you mean it?" Drake asked, squeezing his eyes shut to stop the tears that threatened to fall. "How am I supposed to take that? People don't want to be associated with fuck ups, so leave. Just do it because I know you want to. With every fight we just get closer to the edge, so leave, Mindy. I don't care if you come back or not." Lie. Blatant lie. He wanted her there. He wanted to be with her. He wanted her not to hurt him anymore.

"I'm sorry, Drake," Mindy said softly, walking over to him and planting a kiss on his cheek before disappearing out the door.

He didn't know what she was apologizing for – the fact that she hurt him? The fact that she actually left? He pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes, determined not to let the tears fall. He didn't regret telling her to leave – he regretted not knowing if she was going to come back.


	28. Sequel

This is the sequel to Leave. How fitting that the song title is actually Sequel!

**Sequel - TeamMate**

_Sometimes all you got is too much._  
><em>Sometimes nothing's ever enough.<em>  
><em>Even the best stories wrap up,<em>  
><em>But I still believe there's gotta be a sequel to us.<em>  
><em>(Don't go, no, don't go.)<br>_

* * *

><p>It had been five days since the blowout with Mindy, and Drake hadn't left the house. In actuality, he'd barely left his room. He hadn't showered, hadn't changed his clothes since that day, hadn't slept well, hadn't an idea what to do with himself. He'd turned off his cell and ignored all calls on his landline. He knew moping wasn't the right way to go about what had happened, but no one had ever said things like that to him. No one had ever hurt him like she did. He loved her. Loved her. Drake was sure that Mindy was the first woman he'd ever <em>loved<em>, fully and completely. He knew it wasn't lust. He loved her. And she had to hurt him like that.

_Every single good thing that you have going on you somehow manage to fuck up. _

Damnit, tears were in his eyes again.

With a sudden surge of determination, he got out of bed and headed for the shower. He put on scalding hot water, trying to rid himself of all the emotion he felt – all the sadness, all the regret, all the helplessness. When he got out and had clean clothes on, he felt noticeably more human, but it still didn't feel like his heart was beating.

The doorbell rang, and not thinking much of it, Drake opened it, ready for his first human interaction in days. He was shocked to see Mindy standing before him, fidgeting with her keys. Drake's instinctive reaction was to close the door in her face. He had thought about the next time he'd face her, and he want to be strong – let her know that treating him that way wasn't right, let her know that he wasn't going to take it anymore, let her know that he was better than she was giving him credit for. He was ready to close the door when he took a second to study her. She, much like him, looked like she hadn't slept in days and wore dark circles around her eyes, her face was puffy and tear stained, she was wearing one of his shirts that hung on her small frame, and she looked the sorriest he'd ever seen her.

"Hi," she said, barely above a whisper.

"Hi," he answered, looking at his feet to avoid eye contact.

There was an awkward silence until Mindy timidly asked, "Can I come in?"

Defeated, Drake motioned her in, shaking his head that he was even giving her the time of day. She opened her mouth to speak and was quickly cut off as Drake said, "Why are you here?"

"What?"

"Why are you here? You said I'm a fuck up. You said I fuck up every single good thing I have going, yet you're here. So, why are you here, Mindy? People don't like fuck ups. Especially people like you, who have to be perfect all the god damn time."

She took a deep breath, and her lip started to quiver. "I…" She pressed her lips into a thin line, and Drake could see that she was trying to hold back her tears. She sat down on Drake's couch, taking a shuddering breath. Drake followed and plopped down in an armchair across from her. "There's no excuse for what I said, no matter how mad I was at you. It was uncalled for, and I'm sorry, and I'll never be able to say I'm sorry enough. I never…" Another deep breath. "You cried, and that was the most heartbreaking thing I have ever witnessed, and to know I caused that has…" A few tears spilled down her cheeks. "I haven't slept in days. I haven't eaten in days. I tried to call you, and you wouldn't answer, so I was ready to give up." Drake's mind flashed to the incessant ringing of his landline that he'd tactfully ignored. "All I've done is think about how _I'm _the fuck up because I lost you. I love you, and I'd be lying if I said that didn't scare me.

"I love you more than I've ever loved anyone, and…" Now the tears were falling hard and fast. Drake sat like a statue, arms crossed over his chest as he waited for her to continue. "I worry all the time that you'll leave me. But that doesn't give me the right to say what I said." She sighed. "And god, I can't believe I said those things to you. You screw up, yes, but so do I, and so does everyone, and I can't believe I was that awful to you." She wiped tears, leaving streaks of mascara on her face. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry. I…I just…Drake, I'm so sorry. I haven't said it enough, and I can't say it enough, and I'm sorry." By now, Mindy was sobbing hysterically, shoulders shaking as she gasped for air.

"You hurt me so fucking badly, Mindy. I've NEVER felt like that in my entire life. For the love of god, I didn't even get out of bed until today because I was so beaten down."

Mindy shook her head, a whimper escaping. "I never meant for…Drake, I'm so sorry. I inherited my temper from my mother, and it's one of her worst qualities. You deserve someone better than me who knows how to treat you right and doesn't snap at you over stupid things. I want this to work, but." More tears. "The odds are stacked against us."

With a sigh, Drake cautiously got up and joined her on the couch. The second he sat down, she buried her face in his chest, still trying to catch her breath from her excessive crying. "I had every intention of shutting the door in your face," he said absently, rubbing her back lightly. "I had it in my head that the next time I saw you, I was gonna be so strong, and I was gonna make a point, and you were gonna be upset, and I'd be so happy. You know, sha-deen-frood."

"Schadenfreude," Mindy corrected, a faint smile appearing on her face.

"Yeah, that. It was on the word of the day calendar Josh insisted on buying me for Christmas." He kissed her head. "But Mindy, I love you. Regardless of what you said or how bad you hurt me, I don't want to let go. I was ready to, or at least I thought I was, and then seeing you on my doorstep made me realize that I wasn't ready to let go at all, no matter what's happened between us."

Drake hated that he had become so forgiving, but as he'd reached adulthood, he realized it was due to Josh's forgiving nature. Josh gave Drake many chances that he didn't deserve, and he now did the same with people. He was possibly more forgiving than he should've been, but this was Mindy, the love of his life.

Mindy looked up at him. "This is way beyond a sympathetic second chance. I was awful, and I always end up yelling at you over the dumbest things. God."

"Yeah, you were awful, and I've been awful in the past, and we'll both be awful in the future occasionally," Drake said bluntly. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't still hurt, but I don't want this to end. It'll take me a little time, but I love you, and I want to be with you, whatever being with you entails."

Mindy nodded, leaning in to plant a soft kiss on his cheek. "Thank you."

"Maybe we both need to shape up. I guess the way I told you to leave wasn't handled the best, either. We put up with a lot of shit from each other," Drake laughed.

"We do," Mindy agreed with a bit of a chuckle. "We've got so much to talk about and sort out and fix and…where do we begin?"

Drake extended his hand, a grin appearing on his face. "Hi, I'm Drake Parker, and I fuck things up sometimes, but I mean well."

Taking his hand in hers, she said with a smile, "Hi, I'm Mindy Crenshaw, and I love you, Drake Parker."


	29. Walk Away

**Walk Away - The Script**

_I don't know why she's with me._  
><em>I only brought her trouble since the day she met me.<em>  
><em>If I was her, by now I would have left me.<em>

* * *

><p>"You're bad news, Parker," Mindy always said with a sly grin whenever Drake talked her into something she wouldn't normally do. And he talked her into a lot of things she wouldn't do – it started off small: he got her to go to his gigs, he got her to go skinny dipping in the pool at his apartment complex, and he got her to blow off work for a week to go on an impromptu road trip. The first had given her a minor headache but a happy heart that she got to see him perform, the second got them both a warning from Drake's landlord after a few unhappy people had given him a call (hey, it was after dark – what was the big deal?), and the third had gotten her a stern lecture from her boss, letting her know that she needed to be more responsible.<p>

Drake soon moved onto bigger things, and there was a time she was holding onto him for dear life as they jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge together, Drake laughing while Mindy screamed as loudly as she could out of both adrenaline and fear. Once it was over, she breathlessly told him, "If you ever talk me into doing anything like that again, I am going to kill you." There was a time when she was squeezing his hand for dear life as the tattoo artist stuck his needle into her ankle, adorning it with a simple, understated version of the scales of justice to represent her profession. Drake had a few tattoos, and he assured her that it didn't hurt a bit – he'd lied. There was a time when Drake was driving her to work because her car was in the shop, and while they stopped for a quick coffee, his car managed to get towed. She was three hours late to work that day, getting another lecture from her boss, saying maybe that new guy she was dating was a bad influence on her. She'd rolled her eyes and returned to her case studies.

Drake wondered why she stayed. He was reckless; he thought that as he grew up, he'd become more careful and more worried about being taken seriously and looked at as a responsible adult, but that wasn't the case. He was a child at heart who always yearned for some sort of crazy adventure. Mindy wasn't like that at all. She was an adult even before she was an adult, and she longed for stability. He couldn't figure out why she stayed with him, why she never tried to leave, why she was in his bed every night. He worried that one day, she'd get tired of his antics and get tired of the adventures he always dragged her on. He hoped she would never leave; his life with her was something he cherished more than he ever thought possible. There were times he asked her why she was still with him, telling her she could probably find someone better than him. She'd just smile at him and say, "You make things exciting. I love you."

_I'm saying walk away, but still she stays. Still she stays._


	30. River

I know it's been forever since I've updated, but to those of you who will read this, I thank you. :)

Part of the 25 Days of Fic challenge posted on tumblr. The prompt for this was candy cane.

**River - Joni Mitchell**

_It's coming on Christmas;  
>They're cutting down trees.<br>They're putting up reindeer  
>And singing songs of joy and peace.<br>I wish I had a river I could skate away on._

* * *

><p>Christmas music swirled around Mindy's apartment as she dragged the box of ornaments out of the closet and onto the floor next to her newly purchased artificial tree. It wasn't as big as she was used to, but it got the job done. She hadn't lived alone in nearly two years, and she was still adjusting to the fact that there was no "we" anymore. There was only an "I."<p>

She cracked the lid of the box, wiping a thin layer of dust off the top and coughing as it fluttered into the air. The first ornament she pulled out was a shiny bauble that was passed down from generation to generation. Mindy hung it on her tree thinking back to all the Christmases she shared with her parents when they decorated the tree on Christmas Eve. The next ornament she pulled out stopped her dead.

Looking around, it would seem she had everything. A beautifully decorated apartment with strings of lights hung up all around, giving the room a cheery, holiday glow, a fireplace with a crackling fire, a glass of wine resting on the mantle. And bigger things, too – a family who loved her, friends who would do anything for her, good health, a great job. She had it all. But the one thing she wanted. That's what was missing. Him.

Mindy cradled the candy cane ornament in her fingers, thinking back to how her Christmas the previous year had been so different, and that was what she longed for. She twirled the delicate trinket between her fingers and wondered where it all went so very, very wrong. Before she knew it, tears were welling in her eyes as the happy memories flooded her mind. For some reason, she couldn't remember any of the bad moments any longer; they were all pushed away and replaced with every good moment they'd ever had, making a dull ache throb in her chest.

"_What the hell are you doing?" Drake asked as he made his way into the living room, eyes widening in confusion. "Are those…candy canes? On the Christmas tree? Like, candy canes that you eat? On the tree?"_

_Mindy nodded with a smile, taking another one from the package and placing it on a branch. "My family always decorates the tree with candy canes."_

"_You could've run that by me first," Drake replied, reaching over her shoulder to take one from the box, biting the end of the wrapper to open it._

"_I didn't realize it was such a big deal."_

"_Well, it sort of is. I mean, you _eat _candy canes." He peeled off the wrapper and shook the unwrapped candy in her face. "Like this!" He ran his tongue across it and giggled, watching Mindy roll her eyes lovingly at his childlike ways. "And not only that, but it's my family's tradition to decorate the tree with ornaments, not candy canes."_

"_It's _my _family's tradition to decorate the tree with candy canes. Only a few ornaments here and there. I assumed that I would be able to do the tree however I wished, considering I don't get to spend Christmas with _my _family this year."_

"_You said you didn't mind," Drake said, looking at her through deep, concerned eyes._

_She put the package down on the table and sat down next to him, taking his hand in hers. "I don't mind, Drake. I love your family, and I'm glad to spend the holidays with them, but this is really different for me. I think what I'm going through is a bigger adjustment than you having to adjust to some candy canes on the Christmas tree." She squeezed his hand lightly and gave him a smile. "I'm not wrong, am I?"_

"_I guess. Just…I don't know." He ran a hand through his hair, and Mindy couldn't help but chuckle. She knew that talking about his feelings wasn't one of his strong points, but she appreciated that he tried his hardest to do it for her. "My family has traditions and stuff, too. I don't want to forget all about yours, but it's weird for me, too. I never really thought we'd have to figure all this out."_

"_I suppose it didn't cross my mind until recently, either." Mindy fixed her gaze on the partly decorated tree. "If it would make you feel better, I'll stop decorating the tree for right now. Deal?"_

"_Deal."_

_When Drake kissed her, he tasted like peppermint._

"_Hey, Drake," Mindy called into the apartment as she hung up her coat on the hook near the door. She had been out with friends for a girls' night, and as much as she loved hanging out with everyone, she was so glad to get home to Drake. She was hoping he wouldn't mind cuddling and a chick flick tonight._

"_SURPRISE!" Drake yelled when she walked into their living room, a goofy grin resting on his lips. "I did this for you!"_

_Mindy's jaw dropped as she caught sight of their Christmas tree that was now decorated beautifully with candy canes on almost every branch, strands of red and white lights, and a gigantic red bow adorning the top. She tried to form words, but she couldn't find her voice. She could see that Drake was waiting for a proper reaction, so she pulled him into her arms and gave him a deep kiss. "Thank you," she whispered, resting her hand against his cheek. "It's perfect. I love you."_

"_I love you, too, baby." He smiled, pressing his lips to her temple before pulling away. "And hey, I saved this for you to put on. I bought you a little something." _

_Drake handed Mindy a tiny box that she gingerly opened to reveal a small candy cane ornament. A grin spread across her face as she kissed Drake again, giddily adding it to the tree._

"Now _it's perfect," Drake declared, wrapping her in his embrace. "Like you."_

"Coming," Drake yelled to his door as he ran his fingers through his bangs a few times, straightening them out. He undid the deadbolt and opened the door, instinctively taking a step back when he saw who he was face to face with. "Mindy?"

She looked up at him, feeling an overwhelming sense of safeness overcome her. Her lips threatened to form a smile at the sight of him, but she instead stood frozen outside his apartment searching for the right words to say. Mindy held out a box of candy canes toward him without a sound.

His brows furrowed together as he inspected the box, then his face finally softened once he realized the memory attached to it.

"I brought candy canes."

"I see that."

Mindy focused her attention on her feet as Drake took the box of candy from her hand. "Do, uh, you want to come in or something?" he asked weakly. "I mean, you came all the way here. You could at least have a candy cane with me. Or coffee. Or both. I don't know."

"I'd like that," Mindy answered with a nod, cautiously stepping into his apartment and leaving her shoes at the door. As she took a few steps in and looked around she spotted Drake's Christmas tree – covered in candy canes. Her eyes immediately were drawn to the tree, scanning every last detail. Mindy realized that she wasn't sure how long she'd been staring, and when she turned to Drake, he was wearing a smile and licking a candy cane. "You…" She wordlessly motioned toward the tree.

He shrugged gently. "Sometimes new traditions are good."

"I missed you."

"I missed you, too."

A silence overtook them until Drake cupped Mindy's face in his hands. When he kissed her, he tasted like peppermint.


	31. The Vibe That Separates

**Bruises - Train**

_Let's do this soon again -_  
><em>Ten years, is that what it's been?<em>  
><em>Can't believe how time flies by.<em>  
><em>Leaving you makes me wanna cry.<em>

_These bruises make for better conversation._  
><em>Loses the vibe that separates.<em>  
><em>It's good to let you in again.<em>  
><em>You're not alone in how you've been.<em>  
><em>Everybody loses -<em>  
><em>We've all got bruises.<em>

* * *

><p>After spending some time talking to Craig and Eric and just about everyone else who remembered the brilliant prank she pulled on Mrs. Hayfer, Mindy Crenshaw spotted Drake Parker sitting at a table talking to one of his many high school flings. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him; it had to have been at least five years ago when she saw his face on a tabloid cover and chuckled to herself. She wasn't sure why she felt the urge to go talk to him, but hey, it was her high school reunion – what would it hurt?<p>

She made her way over to the table and sat down next to Drake wordlessly, sipping her drink. He continued to talk to the woman, and while Mindy sat there, she tried to remember her name to no avail.

"Looks like you've got company," the woman grinned, motioning toward Mindy. "I'll catch you later." She got up with a sly wink.

"Bye, Liza."

Liza. That was it. _Hot _Liza as Drake used to call her.

Drake turned and his jaw dropped involuntarily at the sight of his once rival sitting next to him. "Holy shit. Mindy Crenshaw."

"Well, hello, Drake Parker."

He took a minute to study her – tight, blue dress, shoulder length red hair with loose waves – and felt a smile draw itself across his face. "You look beautiful, creature." He added the nickname on the end for good measure.

"Thanks," she said, laughing at the old nickname she hadn't heard in years and looking down to focus her attention on her drink. "You look great, too." He no longer had his signature shaggy bangs, and instead his hair was pushed back with gel. He'd traded in his tight jeans for black pants and a leather jacket.

"Thank you."

An awkward silence came over them as Drake scanned the room, and Mindy tried to think up more conversation topics. "Where's Josh?" she asked, wondering why he wasn't attached to Drake's hip like he always was in high school.

"He wanted to be here, but he's out of town," Drake replied, pulling his phone out of his jacket pocket to check the time. "His friend is getting married this weekend in Boston, I think."

"And you're not off touring somewhere? Somewhere far from here with thousands of women clamoring over you? Did that dream die, Drake?" She tried a sharp edge with her tone, but it fell flat, and she ended up cracking a smile at him instead.

Drake shrugged. "What can I say – life doesn't always go as planned, does it? What are you doing now? I'm sure you've accomplished all your dreams by now."

"A fair few. I don't have my doctorate yet, but that'll come in time. I didn't need it automatically as I was hired straight out of law school at a wonderful, well-respected firm."

"I'm happy for you," Drake said, and Mindy could see that he was trying to be as sincere as possible. "I should probably get going."

"Already?" Mindy questioned, brows furrowing together as she looked at her watch. "It's only a little after nine. Oh, right, excuse me, you probably have some sort of – what do you refer to it as? A 'booty call?'" She put finger quotes around the expression. "That sort of thing waiting for you back at your lavish apartment?"

He chuckled as he looked at her then quickly darted his eyes away. "No booty call, no lavish apartment. I've got a nice little place, though. You probably make more than me."

"I would put money on that. Chasing dreams doesn't always pay the bills."

"You're tellin' me," he said with a sigh, and she sensed there was something he wasn't telling her. "I'm working on another album, but at this point, it's a side project."

Mindy nodded, tilting her head in confusion. "Then what are you doing now?"

"Odd jobs. Bartender by night. I teach guitar by day. It's not great, but I have enough students that it's pretty good money."

"Oh." Mindy flitted her eyes to her drink. "That's…good. Yeah."

"I mean, I don't really _have _to work. I do have enough saved from when I had my fifteen minutes that would definitely allow me to get by, but." Drake shrugged again, not meeting Mindy's eyes.

"Well, I'll let you go." She started to get up. "It was good to see you, Drake."

He started to get up with her, but instead stayed seated and spoke. "The reason I've gotta get going is because my parents are babysitting my son, and I promised him he wouldn't have to stay overnight with Grandma and Grandpa. I'm working because I'm already saving up for him to go to school. I'm sure he'd like to go to college someday. "

Shock colored Mindy's face. "You have a son?" she sputtered after what felt like an eternity to Drake.

He nodded. "Kyson," he answered, flashing a photo on his phone screen toward her. In the picture, Drake's arms were wrapped tightly around Kyson, and the boy wore a grin that lit up his entire face. "He's four."

"Oh, Drake, he's beautiful," Mindy gushed, studying the photo and looking back to Drake. The little boy had Drake's auburn hair and the same dusting of freckles across his cheeks, but he had bright blue eyes unlike Drake's dark ones.

"Thank you," Drake answered with a grin. "He's a really good kid."

"So, are you married then?" She was trying to piece everything together. "Or in a relationship with his mother?"

Drake shook his head as he stuffed his phone back into his jacket pocket.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened? Working in law, I know it's quite rare that a father would get custody, and that's why I'm curious. Although, if that's too personal, I understand," Mindy added with a knowing look.

"Uh, no, it's not," he said earnestly, sounding surprised that she even cared to hear the story. "It was a one night stand. She didn't want anything to do with him from the moment she found out she was pregnant, and I tried to convince her otherwise, but that didn't happen. Right after he was born, she decided that he was mine completely. It's been hard, but I'm trying to manage."

"I can't imagine going through something like that," Mindy told him, dumbfounded. Her life had fallen into place exactly like she hoped it would, and she couldn't imagine a curveball being thrown at her like that. Drake had big dreams that he couldn't fulfill; she wondered if he ever regretted everything. "You must be a strong person, Drake. You seem like you've grown up a lot, although I suppose having a child would do that to anyone."

"It was either grow up or fuck up someone else's life, too, so I went with grow up." He laughed and Mindy joined in. "I like being a dad, anyway."

"It was really good to see you tonight." The sincerity in Mindy's voice even surprised her as she placed her hand on his knee and gave him a smile. "I'm glad things are going well for you. It seems like you found the silver lining in what could've been a terrible situation."

"Well, I'm sorry I have to get going, but maybe we could get together for lunch? Catch up a little more? Meet my little one? Maybe when Josh is back in town so you can see him, too."

Mindy nodded, still trying to process that she and Drake Parker were actually getting along and _wanted _to spend time with one another. "I'd really like that. Josh still has my number, I'm pretty sure, so he can give me a call whenever he's back in town."

"Okay." Drake stood up and shuffled his feet. "Uh, see you later, Mindy."

"Bye, Drake."

She watched him head toward the door while attempting to figure out everything that had just happened. Had she made a tentative _date _with him?

"Oh, wait," Drake exclaimed, turning around. "I should take a picture of us together because Kyson always wants to know who Daddy's been hanging with."

A grin came over Mindy's face as she nodded. "That's sweet, Drake. Really sweet."

They stood together and he wrapped his arm around her waist as he snapped a quick picture with his phone. "Looks good!" he said, showing it to Mindy.

"Text that to me," she smiled, taking his phone from his hand and adding her number into his contacts wondering for a split second what the hell she was doing. "For memories' sake."

* * *

><p>Mindy's phone went off later that night, and when she picked it up, she was surprised to see a text from Drake.<p>

"Kyson says you're pretty," it read. "I agree."


	32. Still

**Still - Matt Nathanson**

_Still can feel you kiss me, love._  
><em> Still can see your eyes like diamonds, diamonds.<em>  
><em> Memories are strong enough<em>  
><em> To come on and drive me wild.<em>

* * *

><p>It wasn't supposed to work out. All the odds were stacked against the two of them right from the start. They fought, they made up, they bent, they broke, they got back together, only to ultimately fall apart one last time. Knowing from the start that their relationship was doomed didn't make the break up any easier. It didn't make looking through photos of their happy memories hurt any less.<p>

It didn't make Mindy Crenshaw's life any easier knowing that Drake Parker was no longer hers.

It didn't make it any easier to look through the photos. She would never forget the first show of Drake's she attended. She would forever remember the grin on his face as he stood on the stage, lights shining down on him as his hair glistened. She would forever remember when he dedicated a song to her and how he beamed as he got to say, "This one goes out to my girlfriend – right in the front! Love you, babe!" She would forever remember the high he was on for days, casually saying, "Remember that guitar riff from the other night? So good!" in every other conversation. Mindy clutched a polaroid photo of the two of them after one of his shows. They were standing in a busy club, but everyone else seemed to fade away. His arm was around her waist, her arm resting on his chest as he planted a kiss on her forehead and she laughed.

Mindy had an affinity for documenting every occasion. It drove Drake crazy at times, but all in all, he did appreciate having pictures to remember their special moments. Most were taken with a polaroid camera Mindy found in her parents' garage when she moved out, and as she flicked through the stack of photos, she felt her heart ache. There were some of them together at family gatherings, a few candid ones Megan had taken of them on the couch in Drake's parents' house, ones from the day they bought their apartment together, some of Drake alone in the studio recording his album, and one photo that stopped Mindy dead in her tracks.

She put the rest of the pile down and felt the tears fill her eyes as she looked at it. She closed her eyes against the welling tears. The photo showed she and Drake wrapped in each other's embrace while standing on the beach. Mindy could never forget that day – she had been stressed with work, and Drake insisted she take a day off. Without her knowing, he turned off her alarm and called her in sick for the first time ever. They hopped in the car, and while she had no idea where they were going and kept protesting, Drake knew she'd love it. He found a secluded spot on a beach in LA where they could sit alone with a bottle of champagne and the picnic lunch he packed for the two of them. After four hours of bliss, they ventured onto the main beach where Drake found someone to take their photo. She distinctly remembered the man smiling at the two of them and declaring, "You two will be together forever. I just know it."

Yeah, forever.

Mindy tossed the picture aside and ran her hands through her hair. She wiped the tears that had started to fall and wondered where the hell it all went wrong.

She could still feel the breeze in her hair from that day. She could still feel Drake's arms wrapped tightly around her. She could still remember what it felt like to fall asleep curled up at his side. She could still remember his piercing words when he walked out the door for the last time. "I'll never be good enough, will I, Mindy? I'll always just be some idiot for you to boss around. Well, guess what? This idiot is apparently smarter than you thought because I'm done. I'm gone."

For some reason, though, aside from the words that still stung her ears, she couldn't remember any of the bad moments, and all she wanted to do was make good. Before she had time to think rationally, Mindy found herself standing on Drake's doorstep with a very confused looking Drake standing before her.

"Hi," she said softly, hint of a grin resting on her lips.

"Hi," he answered, and she could tell he was doing his best to suppress his smile.

"I'm not sure why I'm here. Actually, I am. I was going through pictures when I was cleaning out my apartment, and I found a stack of photos of us, and I…dare I say…missed you? And I've been missing you a lot lately. A lot more than I'm comfortable with admitting. I understand if you want to close the door in my face because I was awful to you, and it's inexcusable, but I still do have feelings for you, and I still have a desire to be with you…" And she continued to babble on until her voice sounded foreign even to her ears.

Cutting her off, Drake draped his arms around her waist and pressed his lips to hers. She fisted her hands into his hair, and when they pulled away, he was grinning. Maybe she didn't always need to think rationally.


	33. Honey

I've had this idea in my head from the moment I heard this song, and I've written it several times, but I've never been able to get it to my liking. After awhile, here it is - Josh's thoughts on Drake and Mindy's relationship.

**Honey - Jason Danieley**

_He calls her honey,_  
><em>And it's like I never was.<em>  
><em>Can't you tell I've been defeated?<em>  
><em>Couldn't give her what she needed,<em>  
><em>So she found someone who does.<em>

_Sure, they call each other honey._  
><em>It's not a favor, not a chore.<em>  
><em>No, I never called her honey,<em>  
><em>So she won't call me anymore.<em>

* * *

><p>It wasn't something Josh liked to think about, but sometimes in the middle of the night, he woke up in a cold sweat with the thoughts of Drake and Mindy running through his head. That was his brother and his ex, for god's sake, and he thought there were rules against that. He thought there were rules against these sort of things – things that made him shudder and things that kept him up at night wondering where he went wrong.<p>

No one expected this to happen – Drake and Josh were now both 26. Josh and Mindy broke up for good when they were freshmen in college, but they still kept in contact every once in awhile. A year and a half ago, Mindy found herself at one of Drake's shows, and for some reason, they connected in a way they never had in their adolescence, and snuck around behind Josh's back for a good six months before anyone found out about their relationship. Megan, of course, had known all along.

"I didn't ever want to hurt you, man," Drake had said, sitting Josh down to have a long overdue talk with him, "and I'm sorry if I did. I thought it wouldn't matter if I went out with her because it's been so long for you guys. And you ended it for good, and you still talked sometimes, so how was I supposed to know you wanted her off limits? I…I've never felt this way about anyone before, Josh."

Josh hadn't known how to respond.

There were times when he saw them together, saw the way Mindy smiled around Drake when his hands made their way around her waist, saw the way he nestled his chin in the crook of her neck, saw the way they just looked so damn _happy_, like they were going to burst with joy, and he wondered if he and Mindy ever looked like that. He wondered if she was ever as in love with him as she was with Drake, and he constantly wondered what he could've done differently to make her stay.

It wasn't that he wasn't happy for them – they were so strangely meant for each other that there was no way he could be _un_happy for them, but seeing Mindy wrap her arms around Drake made him feel her phantom touches on his skin. When he saw the two of them kiss, he could still feel her lips against his and taste the apricot lip gloss that she'd never stopped using as the years passed. He always wondered if when she looked at him all the memories flooded her mind, too, or if he had been washed away completely.

Mostly, he didn't want Drake to hurt her. Mindy was Josh's first love, and as much as he hated to admit it, a piece of his heart would always have her name written on it. He knew how quickly Drake went through nameless faces and ran his hands down curves and shared his sheets. "He's changed, Josh," Mindy had told him. "I'm flattered that you're worried about me, but I had my reservations in the beginning, too. Things with us are okay, and quite honestly, as much as I appreciate you looking out for me, I'm a big girl and can handle it myself. Whatever life throws my way, I'm able to handle it, but thank you." She'd planted a kiss on his cheek that felt strangely like ice.

Josh knew that by the end of their relationship, he couldn't give Mindy everything she needed. It was a fact that he had accepted; they were moving in different directions, and while they'd made it through some big ups and downs, the distance of college changed them a little too much. He wondered if he was the one that made Mindy want someone the opposite of everything he was.

He hadn't seen his brother smile like that in years, so he buried the ache under his daily activities, under outings with friends, under fake smiles, and under suffocating thoughts. Josh had always been a caring person who would do anything for his friends and family and give himself away to those he loved from the time he was a little kid, but he couldn't help wondering when he was going to get those pieces back.


	34. Does He Know

**Does He Know - One Direction**

_Does he know you can move it like that?_  
><em>Does he know you're out and I want you so bad?<em>  
><em>Tonight, you're mine, baby.<em>  
><em>Does he know that you'll never go back?<em>  
><em>Does he know?<em>

* * *

><p>The club is smoky and dark and filled with Drake's most favorite thing – girls. He finishes his set and hops offstage with an agenda. While he was performing, he only noticed one person in the audience – the girl with shoulder length brown hair and a short leather dress. The lights of the club kept hitting her and the turquoise streaks in her hair just the right way, and he knows that he needs to meet her. Needs. Every other girl trying to come onto him, throwing themselves at him, offering to buy him drinks doesn't affect him because he has tunnel vision as he makes his way through the masses.<p>

Drake finds himself right next to her on the dance floor, and the way her hips move is something sinful. "Hey, I couldn't help but notice you the entire time I was onstage," he growls into her ear, and beneath the mass of hair covering her face, he sees perfect red lips turn into a smile.

She shakes her wild mane out of her face, and he's taken aback – quite literally as he bumps into three other people – when he realizes it's none other than Mindy Crenshaw.

No. This. No. This is the girl who dated his brother for years. Years. She shouldn't be in a club in a ridiculously tight dress and colored streaks in her hair and dancing like _that,_ for god's sake. She should be sitting at home in her living room studying the Pythagorean theorem or reading the dictionary or disassembling a computer for fun. Not listening to his set at a club and _turning him on_.

"Well, hello," she says with a grin, grabbing his t-shirt to pull him closer to her. "Your set was amazing."

"You dated Josh," is all Drake can manage.

"We're on a break."

"A break? Like, what does that even mean? Like, are you still banging him?"

Mindy laughs as she takes Drake's hands and places them on her hips, even though he still seems unsure. "Nice to see you haven't changed a bit. I'm not _banging _– " She cringes when she says it. "Anyone right now. Josh and I were thinking about possibly getting back together eventually."

"Josh would never come here," Drake replies as he slowly finds the rhythm and rocks his hips back and forth. "Well, to see my show, and then he'd run for the door."

"So, because Josh would never come here, I'm not allowed to?" Drake doesn't respond. "I'm letting off steam. Is that a crime?"

"No, it's not, it's just that if you and Josh…"

She shakes her head and presses into him. "Right now, that's nothing to worry about, okay? I am not currently dating Josh. He is not currently my boyfriend. I am currently single."

"And the…hair…" He touches a bit of turquoise gently.

"Yeah, so?"

"That's not…something Josh is…"

"But you like it, right?"

"It looks…nice…" He stammers. "You…look…your dress is…"

"Will you be completing any of these sentences?" She smirks.

Just like that, Drake's back at the high school science fair waiting for Mindy to beat Josh. It's almost like a montage of their worst moments starts flashing in his head. "We hate each other." As he says it, though, he can't see that young, annoying, brainiac in the woman standing in front of him. The woman in front of him is in control and so damn _beautiful_.

"Drake, we're adults now," she says, leaning in so he can feel her hot breath on his ear. "Why don't we go somewhere other than here and…catch up?" Mindy kisses his cheek softly, and from the sly smile on her face, he knows they're not going to do much talking.

"Sure," he says, and he has no idea why he's letting her drag him out of this club, but it seems like the only option in this moment.

* * *

><p>Waking up in bed with Mindy by his side, Drake can't help but think this is wrong. So very, very, very wrong, but last night was so damn good that he can't help but think this might be very, very, very right. They never did talk, and while they knew each other at least a little bit when they were younger, the adult versions of themselves are most definitely strangers. He can't wrap his head around what just happened.<p>

Drake doesn't even realize she's awake until she says, "I don't work at the law firm anymore."

His brows furrow together as he turns to look at her. Even with her makeup mostly gone – just bits of smeared mascara left – she still looks beautiful, and it shakes him to the core. "You…don't?" he asks, and she strokes his bare chest gently. "Why?"

"I needed a change." Mindy shrugs and looks at him. "It took me so long to realize I wasn't happy, and being with Josh was a part of that, actually. It was my idea we take a break this time, not his. It's just that – I was working there because it was safe. I was with Josh because it was safe. So, I'm trying to figure out what I want to do now. What really would make me happy. Sorry I'm unloading all of this on you. It's stupid. We probably shouldn't have done this."

"No, it's not stupid. I just. I didn't say I regret it, Mindy. But wow." Drake lets out a little laugh. "I never thought we'd be here."

"Are you happy?"

He takes a deep breath before nodding. "I am. I did go through hell and back trying to get my record out, but now that it's out and I get to perform, it's pretty awesome. You should come to my next show."

"I'd like that."

They sit in silence for a few minutes. "How am I gonna tell Josh?" Drake questions, the thought suddenly hitting him.

"Don't worry about that right now."

"He's my _brother_, Mindy, and if we're gonna try to make this a…" Drake does a vague hand gesture. "A thing, he's gonna have to know."

"And he will," Mindy assures, moving away from him slightly and pulling the covers up around her. "Eventually. We don't have anything figured out. As of right now, this has been a one night thing. Do you want it to be something more?"

"I don't…I." Another vague hand gesture. "I don't know. I'm bad at relationships."

"So am I. I've dated one guy on and off since high school, so you really think I know what's going on in that department?"

Drake laughs a little, and she smiles. "Maybe we could be a thing…but…Josh…"

"I told you. Don't worry about that right now, alright?"

He nods, slipping his arm around her and drawing patterns on her arm with his fingertips. "You're not going back, are you?"

She plants a kiss on his lips. "Not ever."


End file.
